Darkness Fades
by FuzzyWuzzy234
Summary: A Riolu living on the streets of the city is content with his empty life. However, one person in the city will change the Riolu's future, forever. With his new companion, can Riolu overcome all of the challenges in life that await him? (CH.11 IS FINALLY FINISHED!)
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Chapter One: Prologue

The sulking Riolu walked on the dimly lit path of the cities sidewalk, no destination in mind. Few people passed him, not even looking at him as if he never even existed. He liked it that way. He had grown accustomed to the emptiness that engulfed his senses every day and night. He never yearned to lay by another, be hugged and cuddled; no, he liked being alone.

This night felt just as dark and empty as the rest; the cars whizzing by, the Riolu paying no heed, the trash strewn over the tar, the people and Pokémon sulking towards their destination, the pitch-black alleys. All of it seemed a never ending setting to the Emanation Pokémon, nothing ever sticking out, every day and night was the same grey and black blur of emptiness. Yet, he never cared.

No one ever attempted at capturing him, for nobody was interested. Stray Pokémon weaved through the alleys, jumped across the rooftops; or even on rare occasion, stood in the road, wanting their empty lives to be over. Riolu always would stop and stare at those Pokémon who attempted suicide as a way of escaping the stress of simply living another day. The look of fear and realization, yet happiness, as a final tear streamed down their cheeks. The tires screeching trying to swerve out of the way, yet, always failing to do so as blood erupted from the Pokémon's bodies; the sickening crunch of their bones being shattered and crushed, guts spilling everywhere, everyone screaming in fear.

Riolu always wore a sad smile as he saw those Pokémon disappear from life's faint grasp instantaneously; to float up into the heavens, to their own eternal slumbers. When the smoke billowing, menacing-looking, hunks of metal hit them and they drew in their last breath, he only smiled. He never winced, looked shocked, or shed a tear. He only watched and smiled. When he saw their dead, life-less bodies lying on the cold pavement, he looked up and waved towards the heavens.

His mind was averted back to the present with a single raindrop landing on his dull blue fur, coursing down his rough skin, before falling onto the concrete below it. He looked up at the dark and heavy rainclouds looming over him, the same emotionless expression as a few drops hit the concrete full speed; shattering on impact with the man-made Earth. He didn't even flinch as thunder could be heard in the distance like a predator looming over its prey and closing in for the kill. The Riolu sighed and walked further on, not caring if the rain drenched his already cold fur.

However, as the rain pelted his coarse coat of fur, he considered taking shelter in one of the dark alleys. He felt a chill run up his spine as a gust of wind blew past, making the rain feel like hail to the small Pokémon. His body having enough torment from the constant freezing rain, he slipped into the alley, into the shadows; his home. As he walked into the alley, he noticed something right away, no other Pokémon resided here. However he quickly dismissed the fact with a small shake of his head and sat against one of the alleys grime covered walls. Most people would feel uneasy walking into the twisting and winding alleys that connected the city, almost like one giant maze. However, the Riolu felt as if it were his home, where he could relax and sit.

Unfortunately, right before the Riolu drifted into one of his nightmare filled slumbers, a sudden noise made him jump to his feet. _Clang! _The sound of a trashcan being knocked over echoed throughout the narrow alley, the sound of its contents spilling came right after to the Pokémon's ears. Slightly interested, the Riolu cautiously walked towards the disturbance. He knew he could hold his own in a fight and was not afraid to hurt anyone if they came too close. However a sliver of a familiar feeling of foreboding welled up deep within the Emanation Pokémon.

As he moved forward deeper into the alley, he could make out a homeless middle-aged man rummaging through the trash as if searching for treasure. However, when the man caught sight of the Riolu, he stopped sifting through the trash. He stared at the Pokémon with hunger filled eyes, almost drool forming on the man's lips. The Riolu shot him a glare and a look of disgust; he knew exactly what the man was thinking.

He always knew humans were desperate at getting what they desired, murdering, stealing, indeed humans were terrifying and disgusting creatures. They would do anything to get an extra buck, more food, or pleasure from something. One of them was eating stray Pokémon off the street. The young Riolu had seen it before, the terror on their faces as the humans carved into their flesh; eating them as if they never had a bite in their lives. Though they knew full well the Pokémon hadn't had much either.

His mind snapped back into the present when the man unsheathed an old blade he had in his torn shirt, giving the Riolu a cold and menacing glare. The metal had old scratches and blood-stains from previous fights the man had been in. Instead of feeling intimidated, however, the Riolu felt his disgust and anger towards this man grow even stronger; growling defensively as the man stood up. The man put his blade up into the air and tried to slash the Riolu in one hit. The battle had begun.

...

"Aaaugh!" the man yelled in agony as he felt his rib cage being cracked and shattered by the furious Riolu whom was currently beating him down to a pulp. The Riolu made one final punch to the man's face; breaking his nose and making it bleed in the process. When the Riolu ended his attack, he jumped off the man; using his chest as a springboard, causing more agony for the man. The Riolu landed on the cracked cement and stared at the man with a piercing death glare, full of blood lust.

The man staggered to the garbage covered ground, bleeding as he laid clutching his nose while groaning in pain and muttering something incomprehensible. The Riolu walked right towards the man so his clawed feet were right in front of his eyes. He drew back his foot and, with another disgusted glare, kicked the man on the head; causing him to be knocked out, and still bleeding.

_**Author's Note:**_

_**So, how do you like the prologue to my first FanFic? I'll admit I'm not very great at writing, (For a good story go check out lupyne's 'I Am Lucario', its AWESOME!), so complements and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated! R&R! **_**_(I did not create the Image used for this FanFic, all credit goes to AuraMaster90.)_**


	2. Chapter 2: A Change in Heart?

Chapter 2: A Change in Heart?

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Well here it is…Chapter Two, YAY! Anyways, just wanted to get copyright out of the way… I do not own Pokémon. Nintendo owns Pokémon, not me. (Though I do have almost all the games in my possession!) **_

Little pieces of trash flew from the dumpster as the Riolu scoured through the dump trying to find food that was, at the very least, edible. Unfortunately, the fight from last night, his rather long walk, and his nightmares throughout the night had taken its toll on the small Pokémon. Also the afternoon sun beating on his back did not help his already heavy fatigue as the Riolu panted, the glare from the metal scorched his eyes to no end. His paws were already covered in muck and grime from the nasty pieces of litter the humans threw away; He looked as if someone decided to give the Riolu a bath, but with mud instead of soap.

Finally though, after tiring minutes that seemed like agonizing hours to the starving Pokémon, he found a small morsel in the dump; A partially eaten Hot Dog, even with little bits of dried Ketchup and Mustard still lingering on the rotting meat. However, even though he found something to eat, he wanted to just throw it back into the dump and move on. He was used to eating unappetizing food before, but this looked utterly plain out inedible and disgusting. The bread was crusty and turning green from the fuzzy mold taking over, the hot dog was stiff and rubbery, and the dried bits of Ketchup and Mustard looked more like vomit than its predecessor.

Steeling himself, he shoved the 'food' down into his throat, recoiling at the absolutely horrid taste; it took every ounce of his Will not to gag and vomit as the nasty aliment touched his tongue. The stale bread, plus the tasteless and chunky meat, and the dry bits of Ketchup and Mustard did **not** go well together **at all**! The feeling of it sliding down his esophagus felt so revolting that his entire body shook, indeed, this was the worst food he had ever tasted in his entire life!

After getting over the taste of the terrible 'food' he had just eaten recently, the Riolu walked the empty alleyways through the city. The tall skyscrapers used to pique his interest to no end when he was an infant, but now they symbolized the dreams he would never reach. This place was Heaven and Hell to him; there was no Nirvana in sight. Constantly fighting his inner thoughts, emotions, the natural elements, and outside threats. Yet he loved the feeling of seclusion that washed over him in these never ending shadows. This never ending darkness, he absolutely loved it.

However, the dark memories haunted him. The death, betrayal, murders…it all haunted him. Those early memories which reformed him into the emotionless stone without a soul he was now, he remembered them as they tormented him. The vivid sights, smells, sounds, it was always so clear when he relived them every night. Yet there was one part that always seemed missing. Like almost completing a puzzle, but losing the last piece. He would always remember; he would never forget…

_The infant Riolu sprinted down the dark alleys, blood soaking his paws, tears staining his deep blue fur as endless streams poured out of his eyes that were screwed shut. They didn't dare to open, not after what he had witnessed, the corpses of the most beloved things he cherished. His mother and father, dead, killed by a Pokémon he thought was his friend; whom he thought he could trust. Why, though, was something he was never told. At first he didn't want to know, he just wished it had never happened. But now he wanted to know, he longed to know, he __**needed**__ to know, to find his clarity. To find that missing piece of the puzzle, he just wished he knew…_

Yes, the young Riolu had parents, and they all used to live together; finding happiness in their dark and seemingly meaningless lives. It had been the three of them against the world, and they did just fine, together. The Riolu felt as if he could accomplish anything, do any task, defeat any foe. He loved that feeling of love and acceptance that filled his soul every time they were all together, he felt invincible. That was until a very fateful and unfortunate day for the Riolu, the day when his parents would be killed. And he would be there with them breathing their last breaths, until they were gone. Forever. He knew he could do nothing to bring them back; thinking of it brought unbearable pain in his heart, like millions of stabbing knives.

A shriek snapped the reminiscing Riolu out of his reverie. He suddenly froze, somebody must have wandered in! Foolish humans! They didn't know that if you stepped into a Pokémon's territory and you weren't on the 'OK list' you were doomed right from the start. People sometimes would wander into these alleys out of pure curiosity, only to never come back out. Police would find the bodies crushed, burned, ripped apart, or killed in some sort of manner from the Pokémon who 'owned' their territory of the abandoned alleys.

One time he had made the mistake of wandering into an Ariados' territory. The feeling of being tied up against the walls of the alleys; Helplessness and fear overpowering all of your senses. The venom injected into you and slowly killing you, the agonizing feeling of it coursing through your veins. The pain radiating from every nanometer of your body, then you bleed. From your nose, mouth, and eyes. It never stops until your drained and you die. They rip you open with their razor sharp jaws and eat all of your insides; drinking your stomach acids and tearing your muscles into shredded bits.

Then another thought surfaced in the Riolu's mind: Should he go and help the human? Or should he watch their pained agony? The sight of death didn't faze the Riolu at all after watching it so many times first-hand, so why not? He had very few forms of any entertainment; why not satisfy a guilty pleasure? Or be the supposed 'Hero' then be forgotten about the very next day, and as a bonus: The Pokémon in the territory now hate his guts!

However, the Riolu certainly wasn't evil, but he wasn't that Pokémon who often intervened with other people or Pokémon's business. He thought about the consequences of his actions, both good and bad, eventually coming to a conclusion with a defeated sigh. He would help. He allowed Aura Sight to take over and dashed into the deeper parts of the alleys.

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Well, what do you think? Did I add enough detail and gore to make you vomit during this? If I did then, I HAVE FULFILLED MY DESTINY! Lol, anyways, compliments and constructive criticism is always appreciated! R&R!**_


	3. Chapter 3: The Meeting

Chapter Three: The Meeting

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Hello again FanFiction! I AM BACK! Anyways, just wanted to let anybody who is actually interested in this FanFic, (probably no one T_T), that these new updates will take longer because I will be writing longer chapters, so bear with me! I do not own Pokémon, Nintendo owns Pokémon, not me.**_

_Aura, a truly amazing entity that every living thing possesses. The gift of seeing and manipulating it, an even more astounding attribute my kind possess. A 'benefit' handed down, generation to generation. A truly wonderful spectacle so few people witness in their every day lives. Truly astounding isn't it? _

I closed my eyes and allowed the Aura to guide me through the desolate, yet dangerous, path through the dimly lit alleys. The auburn glow filtering in through the vacant space between rooftops provided very little light and warmth. The cold winds started wafting in from the bustling sidewalks, making me shiver as I ran. I could feel autumn approaching with every leaf I felt smack across my face.

_Autumn, the sign winter would be here soon. Winter, the worst season for simple survival. The white snow showering the city, the whipping winds, and the frozen hailstones; I hated it. Winter with family was the worst, seeing them frozen while knowing you could do nothing killed me. I could see Pokémon writhing; their frostbitten skin no match for the frozen harshness of Mother Nature's wrath. Their frozen tears on their faces as I could see their cold breaths, their Aura getting dimmer and weaker. Until they were gone…_

I stopped dead in my tracks when I was close enough to see the situation unfold, the dust kicked up by my abrupt motion settled around me… "H-help me! Somebody, anybody, please help!" Her cries went unnoticed by the pack of Houndour and a single Houndoom, the pack leader, closing in on the girl. The Houndoom's Aura sent a shiver up my spine; so dark and evil. There wasn't a single sliver of any good emotion in the Pokémon's soul. I snarled as I read his dark thoughts…

_Well, well, well, look who we have here? A no good human entering my grounds? Great timing on this poor girl's part, we were looking for some nice flesh to feast upon…_

I couldn't even listen to his malicious thoughts as I suddenly remembered who this specific Houndoom was from the deep voice in its mind. The Houndoom that…that… 'No, it couldn't, could it? It, it must be a mistake on my part!' I looked at his Aura once more, and then time seemed to stop altogether as I remembered…

"_Mommy!? Daddy!?" I called for my parents in my panicked and tiny voice, the terrifying feeling of loneliness crawled through my veins. I was unaccompanied and lost in the vast entanglement of alleys, and I was very, __**very**__ scared. I wandered, all the while I shook and my large crimson eyes darted from one thing to the next in discomposure. My footsteps which used to sound silent now seemed to echo along with the blood pounding in my ears. Then I heard it, other footsteps which sounded like claws scratching against the pavement. I froze in terror, listening as the footsteps came closer and closer. _

_A large Houndoom rounded a corner and walked towards me, its eyes staring at me, perplexed. But to me those eyes were staring deep into the window to my soul, filling me with such unease I backed into one of the walls; petrified. I shivered as it walked closer before it finally spoke in its deep voice, "Child, what are you doing wandering the alleys by yourself?" I remained frozen in my agitated state, looking at him with eyes beginning to become blurry from tears. "P-please don't hurt me," I pleaded in my minuscule voice as I trembled even more, trying to conceal myself against the alley's walls._

_The Houndoom replied with a warm smile and explained, "Child, I wouldn't hurt you. In fact," he paused to look up at the darkening clouds before continuing, "If you're lost, you may stay with me and my pack until you find your family." My tears seemed to evaporate instantly as my naïve and grateful voice spoke, "R-really!? Thank you!" I stood and immediately followed him as he and I walked back to where his pack were currently residing. Yes, he had given me a temporary home, and I even made friends with other Houndours living there, but… I had no idea he would be an impostor of a friend instead of the enemy he was going to become in my mind…_

Have you ever lost complete composure from something that seems as tiny as a memory, but actually is much more? That's what happened to me in a minimum of well, instantly. He wasn't a friend, but actually a dark and malicious core covered by a positive and faithful shell. A façade. A fake. The one whom I thought would be my closest friend became my distant enemy. Two Pokémon locked in a deep hatred, and I was the main contributor…

_I laughed as me and Houndoom played pranks on the other stray Pokémon. We chatted with my parents, who were gleeful I had found a friend and accepted the Houndoom instantaneously. We were the closest of compatriots, going through tough and good times together. He seemed serious and strict to those who didn't know him, but he always had a soft spot for me. Then he betrayed me when I thought I could trust him…_

Acrimony built up in my core instantaneously, my senses clouded with rage, hatred filling my mind. One goal surfaced: kill. And that's exactly what I did. I sped forward into the small opening in the labyrinth of alleys just before the Houndoom used Flamethrower. I opened my jaws and planted my razor-sharp fangs deep into his flesh not covered by the bones he accessorized with.

XXXXXX (XXXXXX = POV change)

An agonized yell escaped the Houndoom's throat as blood seeped through the wound, the Houndours' eyes widening and running after witnessing their leader being attacked by an unknown threat. He immediately threw the livid Riolu off of his side, the Riolu landing on his two feet easily. The Riolu was furiously snarling, blood dripping down his chin, fists balled up, his body was covered in an irate Aura, and his eyes glaring at the Houndoom like blood-covered knives.

The young girl screamed in terror and ran into a corner of the opening in the alleys; curling up into a ball to protect herself from the fight that was currently going underway. The Houndoom, despite the pain from the wound, smirked at the fuming Riolu. "It's been a while, hasn't it friend?" he acrimoniously taunted, his fangs showing as he smirked, they were tainted with blood from his past kills. The Riolu bought the taunt, becoming even more irritable; his growls becoming more and more audible.

XXXXXX

Without trepidation, I lunged at him with claws outstretched, ready to slice him into a million pieces. Regrettably, as I flew towards him, he released Flamethrower from his jaws. The feeling of my flesh being burned from the orange and yellow flames was absolutely unbearable. My fur caught as soon as the flames contacted me, my skin charring, tears immediately being produced in my eyes. I screamed in sheer agony, my lungs and throat burning from the cry. My scorched body hit the alley's walls, bruises and cuts now covering my back.

Tears poured from my eyes as my body slid painfully down the wall, leaving a bloody trail behind it. Now I felt shortsighted, lunging at him while well-knowing of his fire abilities. He remained with the same devious smirk as he closed in on me. I felt my world crumbling at every advancing step he took, my rage being changed into realization, my hatred turned into pained agony, my anger turned into anguish. He pinned me with one clawed paw, his claws digging into my cauterized flesh brought even more paroxysm.

XXXXXX

I barely looked through my arms at the terrifying battle being displayed in front of me, and my eyes filled with horror as I saw the Riolu being pinned by the Houndoom. The Riolu that selflessly tried to save my life was going to be killed right in front of my eyes, unless… No, I-I couldn't, not after what happened to the poor Pokémon. But I am not cruel, I'm torn. I don't know if I should save the Riolu if I could be killed in the process. If only I had the courage…

I could see the Houndoom's paw rise for the final blow, and then I would be next. I know I couldn't survive, especially if a Pokémon couldn't defend itself. I know I must help him, but the fear and consequences; but I couldn't watch an innocent Pokémon die because of me. Especially after the great audacity it mustered up to save me. I steeled myself for what I knew was probably going to be the scariest moment of my life, and lunged myself towards the Houndoom.

XXXXXX

I closed my eyes as I awaited my impending doom, tears of remorse gushed from them. The pain and agony flared as I knew my time was over, because of my inattention. "NO!" was all I heard, but I didn't open my eyes to see the disturbance. I ciphered that the girl had seen me, dying, and the Houndoom about to tear my throat out. I waited… Nothing, it was all I felt. Next was confusion, 'Wasn't he just about to kill me?' Then realization, 'Open your eyes, dimwit!'

My eyes snapped open; I expected to find myself floating in a heavenly void from my death, but no… The Houndoom was no longer binding me to the bloody wall; in fact, he wasn't in front of me at all. Was it all a nightmare? No it couldn't have been; my body was still heavily wounded with burns. Where did he go? I blinked a few times, not understanding until I looked to my right… The girl was on top of the stunned Houndoom, she made a sacrifice to save me. A Pokémon she didn't even-

I was brought out of my thoughts when the Houndoom threw her off of his back, wincing from the wound I had given him earlier. The girl slammed into the wall, falling limp and unconscious onto the pavement; blood dripping from her injured head. "H-how dare you," I growled in my rough and deep voice as I stood up, clutching my chest from the now seemingly little affliction that the charred laceration on my chest created.

I hated when others hurt one another for no reason or because of a selfish excuse, such as the Houndoom. Added to the fact I already hated him, I felt even more crossed now. I felt power being formed from my outrage, a spark ignited from the flames of resentment welling up deep within me. The livid Aura that once surrounded me returned, except even more potent and resilient, shining brightly like the flames that seemingly attacked me. The Houndoom now was snarling back at me, flames filtering through his teeth, "You actually think that you can beat me!" I stayed put, Aura charging up in my paws that were now together. I smirked for one of the first times in my life and answered, "Think? I know." That one sarcastic comment made him completely snap, releasing the flames burning in his mouth towards me; but I was prepared this time.

I released the orb of Aura energy in my paws towards the incoming flames, my hope replaced with knowing who had the upper hand: Me. The Aura Sphere went through the flames clearly; the Houndoom's face wasn't of anger, but of terror. He made no effort of even attempting to dodge the hurtling sphere of chaotic Aura energy. And it hit him, hard. When the attack connected, he went airborne, and then slammed onto another one of the clearing's thick brick walls. _Crack!_ The sickening sound of bones snapping and shattering reverberated through the network of alleys along with his howl of anguish.

Without hesitation, I sprinted towards him, the pain vanishing from the adrenaline now pumping through me. He lay sprawled out on the cement, his eyes barely open, I could feel agony radiating from his Aura at an extreme level; I almost felt the pain from my wounds but dismissed it. I grabbed the two exorbitant horns on his head and flung him over and over into the same wall, his agonized howls resounding through the convolution of empty alleys. The smirk on my face made me look as if I had mentally snapped, in a way, it felt like I had. I didn't stop until my muscles begged for me to, my arms starting to feel as if they were being torn apart.

I stopped finally, his dead body falling down to the ground with a small, _thud_. I simply stood there, the smirk fading from my face as I looked around. A different feeling welled up inside me as I looked at the unconscious girl, something I can't describe. 'It feels like sadness but why? What is this feeling? Why am I feeling it, I am not sure. I've never felt this way before; I've never felt sadness for another. Sadness for another… Pity, is it called? Pity…sadness for another, but why here why now? Why her?'

My thoughts of this new experience stopped when the same excruciating pain filled my chest up again. Immediately, I clutched the burns and dropped to my knees. The pain felt even more severe, the adrenaline must have already wore off. I felt light headed as I supported myself with one arm, my mind felt as if it were spinning. All the sounds around me became more vivid, but fuzzy. My vision darkening and becoming cloudy, black fading to white, stars flashing on and off. Finally I fell into the deep pit of unconsciousness; wandering into the bottomless and empty void of my mind.

_**Author's Note:**_

_**OH MY ARCEUS! That took so long! Well I promised longer chapters so, yeah! Anyways, the next chapters are gong to be even longer, yay for me! I'm probably going to need a back brace by the end of this story because sitting up like this HURTS! Anyways, compliments and constructive criticism are always appreciated! R&R!**_


	4. Chapter 4: Epilogue to the Catastrophe

Chapter Four: Epilogue to the Catastrophe

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Already 100+ views!? THANK YOUUUU! :D Also thanks for the positive feedback; I was expecting lots of criticism for my bad writing skills, but nope. Am I actually improving!? *Dramatic gasp!* Anyways, enjoy chapter four! I do not own Pokémon, Nintendo owns Pokémon, not me. **_

_Darkness…its never ending as I simply float in this black void that is my empty mind. I can see nothing, hear nothing, feel nothing; except for warmth. I feel surrounded by comforting warmth, not the cold and desolate pavement of the dark alleys where I had passed out. Where am I though, how did I get here, what is going on in the world around me. In my minds seclusion I try to listen, but to no avail. The voices are all clouded and fuzzy, must I open my eyes? I try and try, but they simply refuse as if I'm not even trying. My energy is low, my Aura weak, I feel it; the soreness throughout me, but a small sense of relief. But why? The question is brought up to me so many times, yet there isn't any answer in sight. Must I wait for the solacing answer I seek? I suppose so…_

XXXXXX

"Is he going to wake up? Will he be alright?" the young girl kept on constantly asking every few minutes the Riolu did not stir. I kept trying to reassure her, but to no avail. I felt bad for her, after she told me all that she witnessed. But I feel some respect for this young girl; she put herself in the hands of fate to save a Pokémon she didn't even know. As she paced the Recovery Room, a cold sweat dripping down her forehead as her eyes constantly darted from the heart monitor to the Riolu. Her hands were clasped together, but still shivering from trepidation. No matter how many times I tried to tell her things were going to be OK, she continued her behavior. I sighed and left the room once more, to go care for the other Pokémon. The girl shot me a sad and worried expression as I walked out the automatic doors.

XXXXXX

I continued staring at the heart monitor placed next to the Riolu's hospital bed, silently praying it wouldn't stop. That his heart would keep beating, it was the only thing giving me closure. I stayed constantly alert for any changes, even though the moon and stars were shining outside; I wouldn't rest until he was OK. I cautiously looked around the sterile room, the white walls and floors, the many machines next to the Riolu's bed, the open window, and a gentle breeze making the cream colored curtains sway gently. The room felt comforting, but made a deep sense of foreboding in me. However the real cause for my worry was not the room, but the unconscious Riolu laying on the hospital bed; sleeping seemingly peacefully. The Riolu was covered in many bandages and with gauze, IV's sticking into his arms, an Oxygen mask on his muzzle, it all made me feel terrible. I knew I was the reason for the condition he was in; I just felt like breaking down and sobbing my apologies, but I knew that wouldn't help.

So, I did the only thing I could think of; I walked towards his bed, gently placed my hand between his ears, and began petting him softly and slowly. The only response I got was his head barely moving. For a second I felt excitement and joy as I thought he would next open his eyes but I returned to the same depressed state when he didn't. Sighing in defeat, I simply continued petting him; it was all I could do for him, except wait and watch…

XXXXXX

_A young girl, about the age of only five, watched helplessly as her mother slipped away from life's faint and weak grasp. The long and monotone sound of the heart monitor filled the room, but all you could hear was the young girl's cries and pleas as she gripped her father's leg. He too, cried as he only stared at the floor. 'Why did this have to happen, why did she have to be killed?' it's all that went through the young girls mind._

_She remembered just going to the Pokémon Day Care with her mother a few hours ago; they had come to pick up the family pet, Litleo. They were now walking in the city, the two of them conversing and chatting amongst each other, laughing and smiling. The Litleo was playing with a small ball he had received as a gift from the Day Care Lady, chewing on it and rolling around in the young girl's arms. That was until he dropped it. It bounced off of the sidewalk into the roads, where a car was approaching at a fast speed; not noticing the small toy sitting on the road._

_Noticing this, the girl, ignoring her mother, ran out into the road subconsciously to grab the ball. Responding immediately, the mother ran after the small child; the car now only a few feet away. She grabbed the ball and looked up at the noise that grabbed her attention and shrieked in horror at the large vehicle approaching, the driver busily chatting on his cell phone and not realizing the girl in front of the car. Her mother, at the very last second, dove to move her child out of the way._

_Her mother was admitted to the hospital, the Litleo dying from the crash, the girl with minor injuries. She caused two of her own family members to die from her own insolence, and it always haunted her. Yes, she still had her father, but he had changed. Depression always clouded his mind. He never did anything with the girl, sometimes not even getting up in the morning. It made her feel atrocious when she saw her fathers face. He was no longer strong and smiling, but instead weak and sulking. She just wished things could go back to the way they were…_

XXXXXX

_In the darkness I now felt a placid hand move gently across my head, a soothing sadness emanating from it. The Aura felt like the young girl's, 'Has she brought me somewhere?' That I do not know, but this comforting sadness… 'I wonder what is causing this trouble for the young girl's mind. Could it be what has happened not too long ago? Or something in the far past?' If only I could open my eyes to see…_

XXXXXX

A few teardrops hit the blankets of the Riolu's bed, the girl now sobbing into her other hand. "P-please wake up! I-I'm so s-sorry! It's all my f-fault!" she cried, collapsing onto the ground. She was on her knees, one arm covering her eyes, the other gripping the bed tightly. "I-I beg, please just once open your eyes!" she continued to cry out in an attempt to rouse the Riolu from his seemingly everlasting slumber. No response came from the Riolu, who remained lost in the desolation of his mind. She continued to sob quietly, not even noticing him barely opening his eyes.

XXXXXX

_In the midst of my mind, I feel the extreme sadness and anger radiating from the girl. In fact, it's so sovereign; my senses start to swim into focus. I hear her sobs, pleas, cries. I feel myself wrapped in tight clothes…bandages! I smell… I don't recognize this smell; it is very foreign to me. "Please wake up!" I try and try to wake, but it seems useless! Slowly though, my eyes begin to open, my vision is still very fuzzy but I see… I see…_

"_Gasp!_ You're awake! Finally, I was so worried!" she yelled in pure joy as she immediately stood up and hugged me. Lamentably, her hugging me in this state felt _**extremely**_ painful. I yelped as she wrapped her arms around me, touching my still healing wounds. "S-sorry!" she apologized as she pulled away, still staring at me with eyes full of tears. The pain subsided as I looked around. Where was I? I stared at her with a puzzled expression, and she caught on quickly. "Oh, this is the Pokémon Center! I brought you here right after you passed out and…" she paused; a single tear flowed down her smiling face. "I'm just so glad you're ok!" she finished.

Now that I took a better look at the girl I think… Yes, without a shadow of a doubt I've seen her before…

_I walked towards the sidewalks that lingered by the alleys as people and Pokémon passed, heading quickly to their destinations. However one girl caught my eye; she was standing closest to the alley, absent mindedly kicking at the ground. Her appearance hadn't changed. She had long blonde hair, pale skin, grey eyes, typical. Then how come she attracted my attention? I stood at the entrance to the alley, peering around the corner at the girl. Was it because of her look of anxiety on her face? Her troubled Aura emanating from her? I couldn't be too sure…_

Now, her appearance mainly hadn't changed, except for her age and height of course. Now though, she wore white Mary Jane shoes, black tights on her thin thighs, short grey dress with a large bow wrapped around the waist, some-sort of bracelet, and she had on a grey Fedora with the same black bow style as the dress. Her Aura also seemed a lot more radiant, a coruscating and positive pink. However there seemed to be the little sliver of monotone and deep blue, a sign of depression and anxiety.

'Is that from the thoughts that troubled her earlier?' Probably is, though I wonder why; she piques my interest a bit, I must admit… I was brought back from my train of thought by her slumping onto the chair next to my bed; it was then I noticed the bags under her eyes and the moonlight coming from the outdoors. 'Did she really wait this long just for me to wake up?' "_Whew!_ Now that I know you are alright, may I finally get some rest?" she asked, exhausted. I gave her a look that said, 'Isn't-it-obvious?', and laid my head back down on the pillow.

She rolled her eyes at my response and laid her head back, falling asleep in a few short minutes. I looked over at her, then at the moon, then forward. Strangely enough, despite all of my previous rest, I was still drained of all my energy. I yawned and closed my eyes to my well-earned rest as well. But one question surfaced in my mind that started nagging at me like a child in toy store. 'What would I do now?' Well, isn't it obvious: recover then live in the alleys like before this entire 'incident'?

One part of my mind kept shifting to the girl sleeping by my bedside; I questioned that part of me. I didn't want to be her Pokémon, not at all. After what I'd seen trainers do to their Pokémon I would never want to suffer like that…

"_Raichu, use Thunder!" "Delphox, counter it with Flamethrower!" The two voices of the young male trainers echoed throughout the otherwise silent city. The two Pokémon obediently summoned their attacks, the lighting arching in wild zigzags towards the Delphox. The ferocious flames shooting like a bullet towards the unstable electricity. When the two collided, the flames went straight through the electric attack as if it didn't even exist. The trainer watched in horror as his Raichu was scorched by the never ending flames. I watched in the shadows, secretly glaring at the two trainers. _

Indeed, the humans I hate the most were trainers. 'How do Pokémon even listen to them? Humiliating each other just for the humans' enjoyment, and then stuffing them into those Poké Balls! Compassion, something I never see with trainers and Pokémon. I don't know why they just don't run away, how can they simply stand living like that!?' I audibly sighed and looked over at the girl. From my vantage point, she didn't seem to have any of those Poké Balls, but that doesn't mean I'm going to trust her just yet. Closing my eyes, I fell into the darkness of my unconscious once more.

_**Author's Note:**_

_**So, how do you guys like the newest chapter of this FanFic? I admit this is more on the emotional side and not filled with gore and epic battle scenes, (Except for the flashback.), but oh well… (FunFact: I gave the girl a pink Aura because that was my Aura color in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time! And the girl is my character in Pokémon X! Also the Raichu and Delphox are in my party in Pokémon X!) **_


	5. Chapter 5: Recovery

Chapter Five: Recovery

_**Author's Note: **_

_**WAZZAP! 200+ VIEWS ALREADY! OMGOMGOMGOMG! OK, enough of me acting like a crazy fangirl, let's get on with the chapter! (Translation: Thank you everyone who has supported me so far, I am in your debt!) I do not own Pokémon, Nintendo owns Pokémon, not me.**_

_The city, a place I've seemed to cherish forever but…when I linger in the darkness I wonder, 'Is there any place outside the city or does it go on forever?' Yes, at first it does seem silly doesn't it? To believe this gloomy and smoggy place goes on forever, what lies beyond the tall structures, dimly lit streets, and the inhabitable alleys? Maybe there are things I cannot imagine, colors I've never seen, Pokémon I've never met!? Perhaps I will never know, or maybe I will be blessed to see it? I can only hope…_

Slowly, I stirred, rising out of my unconsciousness; my large sanguine eyes opening to the golden rays of Mother Nature's gaze through the open window. Her gentle and warm touch caressed me like an angel; it felt very soothing for the sun to shine down upon me. Sitting up, I closed my eyes and tilted my head down, fully allowing the glimmering sunbeams to shimmer across me. The light breeze gliding in through the window assisted my comfort, I smiled inwardly; it felt as if I were floating in Heaven, and an angel was wrapping it's protective wings around me…

"_Mama?" my immature and high pitched voice squeaked. I was very young at the time, two weeks old. I lay wrapped in my mother's arms; she cradled me gently as if she pressed to hard I would shatter like glass. Holding me close to her warm chest, her scarlet eyes staring into mine she replied, "Yes dear?" "I-is there a p-pla-ace out-s-si-d-de the c-city?" I barely murmured; being so undeveloped, it was difficult for me to speak even sentences longer than two words. _

_Her rough paws tightened for a split second, rubbing and pressing into my smooth skin. She looked down at the cement, as if trying to choose her words carefully before replying. With a soft sigh she replied, "I am sorry, I cannot tell you. But, do not worry; I am sure you will see it in the far future." Her Aura however radiated doubt, I could feel it despite my so little age, indeed my Aura abilities are keener. I still don't understand the doubt however, perhaps I will never know…_

Sighing outwardly, I opened my eyes and looked towards the girl whom was still sleeping; snoring quietly in her probably peaceful dreams. I wouldn't invade her thoughts at the moment however, besides I'm still too tired. As I stared around the room, however, I heard soft footsteps in the hall outside. I stared out the glass into the hallway, for a few seconds, a woman was seen walking on the outside of the glass before disappearing to the other side.

Before I could begin to speculate who that was, the woman walked into the room carrying something. The scent reached my nose instantly. It smelled… it-it… I can't even begin to describe the delicious and enticing smell coming from the bowl. The scent of fresh grains, fruits, berries, and other natural ingredients was too much for my stomach. A boisterous growl escaped from my abdomen, making me sound like a growling Mightyena. She giggled lightly as she set it down, my face a bit red from embarrassment. "I'm sure you'll love it," she reassured with a small wink before walking back out the doors.

The brown pellets sat patiently, waiting for me to eat them. However it felt more as if they were beckoning and begging me, yelling my name. My stomach felt as if it were screaming, 'EAT EAT EAT EAT EAT!' True to my instincts, however, I picked up the bowl of pellets and examined them closely; their seemed to be no powders or other physical toxins or tranquilizers. Sniffing it, the enticing smell was extremely overwhelming, my senses becoming fuzzy for a few seconds as I stared at food. Drool formed on my gums, my paws tremble a bit as I wanted to dig my face into the cuisine. Snapping out of my trance I sniffed it, smelling no chemicals.

Cautiously, I picked up one of the little pieces of food and took a small nibble, chewing it slowly; a small _Crunch!_ as it shattered under the force of my fangs. The flavor tasted tremendous; the oats' and grains' plain taste yet rough texture, the sweetness of the fruit and berries, plus the vegetables, all went together in a perfect blend of harmony. Unable to contain myself from the unbelievable taste, I quickly started hastily shoving the rest of the food into my mouth. Every time a piece touched my tongue, the taste sent me into a bit of a trance. The best food I've ever eaten, hands down.

As soon as I was eating the last bits of pieces and the crumbs, I noticed the girl finally starting to stir; shifting uncomfortably as her grey eyes started to open. I could only feel her awakening Aura as I was too concerned with eating; it literally felt as if nothing existed but the food. "Yawn… Good morning," she sleepily greeted as I finally turned towards her.

She rubbed her eyes and sat up on the chair, stretching her sore and aching muscles, yawning. She opened her eyes and rested her arms once more as she looked at me with bright eyes obviously not darkened by fatigue. I noticed something straight away as she stared at me, her smile she- "HAHAHA!" she suddenly blurted out, laughing hysterically as she pointed at me. I crossed my arms, ignoring the subtle pain, and looked away; my cheeks flushed red a bit the second time this morning.

'Why is she even laughing at me? Their must be a reason, no?' Hesitantly, I put a crumb-covered paw up to my face. I felt nothing unusual, except for the crumbs already on my paws; what was she laughing at? Shrugging to myself, I swallowed the last bit of food and dusted the crumbs off of my paws. Then a thought came to me, I put my paw up to my face once more; then I felt it. Growling in annoyance to myself, I wiped the crumbs off my face. Her laughing died down as I turned; her laughing stopping completely when I shot her a bit of a glare. "Okay, okay! Jeez, take a joke!" she exclaimed, putting her hands up defensively; still smiling. Rolling my eyes, I turned towards the same glass I had seen the woman walking past earlier. I wonder what she's doing now…

_I hummed a small tune softly to myself as I examined every part of the city closely with my curious eyes; wanting to see it all. I walked swiftly at the time, mainly because of my youth; I couldn't sit still for a second! It seemed like every day I would learn something new about this place, every new experience and sight would only further kindle my passion for exploring every inch of this place! However, as I passed a building with an orange roof that clearly contrasted from the cities dull colors, I noticed a young boy running in with an injured Pokémon._

_Puzzled, I walked up to the building and peered in through the blinds that allowed natural sunlight into it. The inside seemed warm and cozy, with couches on the sides, a TV on the opposite end, and potted plants for a relaxing effect. It looked very nice inside, however it didn't add up with the tense and anxious Auras emitting from the structure. The same boy I had seen earlier set down his injured Pokémon, a Linoone, onto the desk in front of a woman who looked shocked at the Pokémon's condition. "Nurse Joy, may you please take care of Linoone? We were in the alleys until we were attacked by stray Pokémon!" he explained, trepidation in his voice. The woman nodded and picked up the Linoone before walking away; but before disappearing from view, she turned and gave the boy a small wink in assurance…_

It finally clicked; people took their Pokémon here to be treated. But is it only trainers' Pokémon or strays too? Did she just assume I was her Pokémon; did she have to lie to get me in here? Is there a fee she must pay for my treatment? I shook my head and sighed inwardly; I would find out in time. The automatic doors opened once more with Nurse…Joy walking in once more, not carrying anything, but now wearing gloves. As she walked towards me, I stared at her with a bit of curiosity. 'Why was she wearing gloves? Is she going to do something to me?' As that thought entered my mind, I shot her a demanding look as she walked closer.

She flashed me her usual warm and gentle smile, but I didn't buy it as she stood a foot away now. I growled slightly in defense, but her smile didn't waver. Instead, she kneeled down so the two of us were at eye-level and put her hands behind her back. "Don't worry," she explained in a reassuring tone, "I'm only changing your bandages so they'll be clean. You don't want those burns to become infected, do you?" Infection and disease, ugh… I remember once there was a nasty flue spreading around the city to both people and Pokémon. I once saw one Pokémon sick, and it was quite a nasty experience…

_Cough…Cough, Cough! Hack!_ _The sounds of a stray Growlithe trying to stop coughing rattled my eardrums as I turned a corner, stopping dead in my tracks. The young Pokémon lay against the alley's walls, hacking and wheezing. Sweat dripped relentlessly down its overheating body, vomit covered the ground around it along with some blood from his vicious coughing, and he was panting heavily. His face showed distress and fear, along with tears welling up in its eyes that were filled with piercing sadness. From his weak Aura, I could tell there wasn't much time left for the Pokémon. Slowly, I backed away from the dying Pokémon before taking off in the opposite direction…_

As soon as that repulsive memory entered my mind I nodded vigorously, not wanting that to happen to me, ever. "Okay, then you're going to have to trust me, OK?" she asked, slowly bringing her hands out from behind her back. I did a quick scan of her Aura: A calm, gentle, and kind light blue Aura; no sign of any malicious or dark thoughts. After a few seconds, I slowly nodded once more; however just like the young girl, I wasn't going to trust her completely.

Nodding back, she took light hold of my right arm and held it forward so it was in front of her. I snarled a tiny bit, watching her every move; making sure she wasn't up to anything. Untying the knot in the bandages she had wrapped from the bottom part of the bones jutting out of my skin to my shoulders, she continued giving me the same reassuring face. I took a good look at my wounds; they had healed drastically from the charred, raw, and bloody flesh I had seen during my battle with Houndoom. Now, the charred flesh was gone, replaced with new and healthy flesh. Her face brightened upon seeing this, "I guess you won't be needing bandages here anymore!"

She repeated with my left arm, but I didn't snarl this time; however I still watched her every move, being very cautious. My left arm was mostly the same as my right arm, actually better; even the fur was starting to grow back. My chest however, wasn't so lucky. It was puffy and red, scrapes, blisters, even some portions looked liked they were recently burned. Frowning, she stood back up before explaining, "Please, stay like that. I will be right back with some more medicine for your wounds." I nodded, but when she disappeared from view I rolled my eyes. I was sitting up on the bed, both of my arms still sticking out.

Lucky me, though, not even two minutes later she walked back in with…with… She set down the tray she was carrying at the edge of my bed, away from where I was sitting. I recognized only one thing; there seemed to be some sort of liquid in a glass jar, at least I think that's what it's called. Picking up a small device, she filled it up with the liquid; I stared at it with interest. 'What exactly does she have planned?' Setting it down, for later use I suppose, she picked up another…thing on the tray. It appeared to be a spray bottle of some sort, was the medicine inside?

She walked over to the side of my bed next to me and bent down, holding the…uh… "This is a Hyper Potion, it will help you heal, but it might sting a little," she explained. 'Hyper…Potion? What is it?' I was about to find out, apparently. She held it out in front of my chest and squeezed it a little, and a sort of spray, medicine I'm guessing, came out. Yes, true to her word, it stung a little; however to me it didn't hurt much,and I didn't move at all. Next however, a relief washed across the wound. It almost felt as if I was healing instantly!

When she was finished, she stood and walked over to the tray; setting the now empty Hyper Potion down and picking up the small device. Walking over I felt her Aura radiate a small amount of unease, confused I tilted my head. "Huh? Oh, this! This is a syringe, it has the medicine inside but," she paused, the unease radiating from her again. _'I hope he doesn't mind this hurting more than the Potion…'_ I shot her another demanding look. She sighed, "You see, in order for me to really heal the wound, the medicine needs to be in your bloodstream." I nodded slowly, still giving her the same demanding look. "If it's alright with you," she asked a bit glumly. I nodded quickly, the demanding look fading away from my face. 'Anything to make me healthy again!'

The smile returning, she bent down once more and firmly held my arm. Surprised a bit, I shot her a small glare. "S-sorry, I don't want you to move though, it would only cause more pain," she explained. I nodded in understanding, but kept my stern gaze as I watched her bring the…syringe closer to my skin. She stopped right above my arm, appearing to study the flesh closely as if looking for something. She nodded upon studying it a few times, before quickly jabbing the syringe into my skin. It hurt even more than the potion, but it again it wasn't enough to make me react physically. I guess being a Fighting type has its advantages. Pressing down on the top, the liquid exited the syringe into my body; I watched as it did, still curious on how it worked. Just as quickly as she put the needle in, she brought it out; before quickly racing over to a small garbage can over in the corner. However this one had some sort of symbol which I didn't recognize, and a word… 'Biohazard? I wonder what that means…'

After wrapping up my torso in bandages again and placing a small one where she injected me with the medicine, she finally announced she was finished with her treatment and, "You may leave here if you wish too, but stay out of any battles until your chest heals completely." I nodded and stood on my two feet once more, and despite them buckling slightly under my full body weight, I could stand just fine. Before she left the room for the last time, I bowed graciously and thanked her, _"Thank you for everything, I am in your debt." _ Smiling, she shook her head and replied, "Don't worry; I help all Pokémon in need. It's my job, after all." Bowing once more, I turned towards the girl who had been waiting patiently throughout my treatment. She smiled at the sight of me on my two feet again and stood up, "Well, ready to go?"

_**Author's Note:**_

_**I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! Yeah, my whole typing schedule got COMPLETELY messed up after distractions, getting ready for spring (Firewood, etc.), and the fact that I live at two different houses doesn't help! Sigh, anyways I hope you can forgive me for being late. I promise the next chapter will be posted sooner! **_


	6. Chapter 6: A Dying Home

Chapter Six: A Dying 'Home'

_**Author's Note:**_

_**OK, I am NOT happy with myself because of that thing, (points to Chapter Five), over there. I admit, that chapter was bad, and I mean BAD. So, I plan on this one being 1000x better! Forgive my bad writing skills! I do not own Pokémon, Nintendo owns Pokémon, not me.**_

We both walked on the sidewalks of the city, heading towards the 'outskirts', or at least I think that's what she calls it. She says this place is the 'downtown district', or, the middle and deepest part of the city. It's odd to think about it really, living here but not having a clue. Seemingly knowing this place like the place like the back of my paw, but truly not knowing if there is a place that exists here that I do not know. It seems so close, yet so far away from the shadows and alleys which I grew up in, lived in, survived in. The shadows brought such sadness and comfort, like a permanent scar on my mental state, I feel addicted to it. The shadows seem so inviting, beckoning me to loom in them once more as I have done so many times; if only I could just quickly slip into one, she wouldn't notice-

"So, have you lived here in the city all your life?" she suddenly asked, looking over her shoulder to see me reluctantly following her. Yes, she had been dragging me along; I didn't want to go, but no matter how many times I said no, she disregarded it so now here I am: Forced to leave the shadows to go to her home. Sighing, I nodded slightly in response, looking over my shoulder at the last alley; oh how much my legs were **begging** me to run into it and away, but I forced myself to keep walking forward. "Do you have parents?" My eye twitched with hatred from that question; I shook my head slightly and shot her a cold and stabbing glare. Immediately, she turned her head so she was looking forward once more and apologized, "Oh, I'm s-sorry; I shouldn't have asked such an insensitive question." She stared down at the ground as we walked, rubbing her arm uncomfortably; her Aura radiating shame and bitter nostalgia.

As we continued to walk, I noticed the buildings started to grow smaller and smaller; the smoggy air from the city growing thinner and thinner, fresh air taking its place. Fresh air, I took a whiff; none of the gasoline from heavy traffic, smoke from the buildings, and no garbage lingering. Instead, as we reached the outskirts, the roads turned from cement into dirt and this odd green 'stuff' grew around them. The shops and homes all around were small and spread apart, each one looked comfy and cozy; and there were so many colors, sights, smells, and sounds; I could already feel the curiosity I was borne with begin to resurface.

People and Pokémon happily went from one place to another; from their brightly colored homes to the smalls stores in the community. The scent of bread, berries, and pastries wafted from one of the small shops and a humble farmers market next to the small building. The houses had often gardens in front, sporting flowers and plants of many kinds; the mixture of all the intoxicating scents, comforting and friendly atmosphere, and smiles on the people and Pokémon's faces all made the girl's Aura spike with the happiness radiating off of the others. A smile found its way onto her bright face. I however, only stood and looked dumbfounded, staring at everything with curiosity and wonder.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she suddenly asked, looking down at me with her warm smile. However, I only shrugged my shoulders and crossed my arms, appearing to look disinterested. She giggled slightly before suddenly grabbing my paw and tugging on it, causing some pain in my torso, but she paid no heed to my small yelp. Staggering behind her frantic pace I grumbled under my breath, "How on Earth did I get myself caught up in this mess?" Eventually, she stopped in front of the small bakery I had seen earlier; the enticing smell was even better up close. "You see, since we're going to my home, I thought it would be nice if we stopped here to grab a bite to eat," she explained before knocking on the door while I ripped my paw out of her grasp.

A short, cheerful old woman opened the door to greet us; her wrinkled smile curved even more when she saw the girl beside me. Her brown eyes were gentle, warm, and yet wise which went well with the long grey locks resting on her back. "Ah, Hailey! How nice to see you again," she noticed me studying her, "And you've brought a friend this time? How wonderful!" I rolled my eyes, if only she knew 'Hailey' had dragged me down here. Hailey scratched the back for head and nervously chuckled, her cheeks a faint shade of red. The old woman laughed a bit_**, (Author: BECAUSE CHUCKLING IS SO MAINSTREAM!),**_ at the young girl's reaction before ushering us inside by grabbing Hailey's free hand, I followed reluctantly.

Inside the small bakery, tables and chairs were spread around, with small flowers standing in vases idly in the middle of each. Two to four chairs were against all of the tables, except for one pair, where a young couple was chatting. In one of the corners was a small counter with a wooden door behind it, the smell of pastries and other baked goods seeped through the door. Potted plants were set up, giving a relaxing and cozy Aura to the bakery. The old woman sat us down in one of the tables closest to the window, the afternoon sun shone down on us through the glass. "So, what may I get you and your little friend here to eat today?" the old woman asked as Hailey sat down in the plush and comfortable chair, I only stood on the chair, resting my head in my paws.

"Hmmm," Hailey thought aloud, stroking her chin as she stared out the glass at the many flowers growing out of the Earth. I tapped my foot impatiently as I stared at the wooden table, tracing the cracks and bends in the woods' bark gently with one of my claws absentmindedly. "Just a small piece of strawberry shortcake please," she finally answered while looking at the old woman with her usual warm smile. The woman nodded and looked at me expectantly; I only shook my head as I rested my head on both my paws again, still staring at the table.

The woman only gave a small chuckle before ruffling the fur on my head playfully; I, as always, paid no heed to her affection. I only looked at her with dull and dark crimson eyes, obviously not caring very much about eating at the moment. "Hmm," she pondered before responding, "I know what to get you, don't worry! No need to be shy!" 'Shy? I am **not **shy! I'm just not very interested in eating at the moment, thank you very much!' Rolling my eyes, I turned my gaze towards the outdoors, muttering a curse under my breath. However, it was difficult to keep my usual scowl from the warmth and happiness of this place; just like the protection and comfort of the alleys.

I heard the woman walking away, chuckling once more at my attempt to act serious and tough; even Hailey was holding back a small giggle. I gave her my 'Shut up' glare before continuing to look out the glass and at the green swaying gently in the breeze. She shuddered a bit, but continued smiling at me. I don't get her, why does she want me to be her friend? Why does she want my trust? Why does she want to appeal to me? I don't understand… Does she want to build me up and then break me down all over again? Yet, she doesn't seem like the type, but that doesn't mean it's not impossible. You never know, that's the problem with this world.

Eventually, the old woman brought back two small white plates, each with baked goods resting atop them. One was a small slice of… strawberry shortcake? Yes, anyways, it was cut into a triangle shape, with two vanilla layers; in between the layers was light and fluffy cream. On top was frosting coating the outer part of the slice, a single strawberry placed on top. On the other plate was an equal sized pastry, except in a much rounder shape. It was a deep chestnut brown, fluffy light brown cream swirling on the top, and a dark brown square resting on the cream.

"Here you two go," she said happily while setting the plates in front of us. Hailey getting the strawberry shortcake and me getting the other pastry, whatever it is… Up close, the pastry looked even more inviting to eat; the sweet aroma it emanated made my paws shiver a bit with trepidation of wanting to shove it down my throat. However, I did my 'usual inspection' and found not even a trace of anything suspicious. Hesitantly, however, I picked up the pastry and took a small bite….

An explosion of delectable sweetness covered my now seemingly ecstatic taste buds as I savored every second of the saccharine dessert. The fluffy cream seemed to melt in my mouth, enveloping every inch of it and letting the taste soak in. The light and moist cake broke into miniscule crumbs that stuck to the icing, each one as luscious as the rest. I moved the mixture of icing and crumbs around my mouth with my tongue, fully relishing in the sweet flavor. I felt myself, once again, floating in heaven from the sweetness of the pastry. I was surrounded by cotton candy clouds, chocolate rivers, and ice cream snow falling gently from the light blue sky… _**(Author: IMAGINAAAAATION! :D)**_

After a few minutes of crumbs flying everywhere from me devouring the pastry at such a fast pace, I finally stopped when I was done to actually breathe again. A content smile made its way onto my face without me noticing as I wiped the crumbs off my face and paws. "I take it you liked it?" Hailey asked as I was done wiping the crumbs from my face; only then did I notice the smile carved on my lips. Blushing and rolling my eyes, my face went back to its original scowl as I pushed the plate away from me. The old woman came back to our table and picked up the two small plates, smiling warmly at us; my scowl unwavering. Hailey, however, had a look of realization on her face as well as shame. "Oh my goodness, I-I'm so sorry I-I forgot my money!" she apologized frantically, I shot her a glare of disrespect; surely you should plan these things out…

The woman, however, only chuckled a tiny bit at her apology before responding, "It's alright dear; no need to pay, those were extra anyway!" I almost looked at the old woman in utter shock; she didn't have to pay for the woman's generous offering? "R-really!?" Hailey replied with gratefulness in her voice; her eyes wide and a large smile on her face. The old woman nodded, "It's alright, honestly. Dear, there is no need to worry!" Hailey immediately stood up and bowed graciously, "Thank you so much, honestly!" The woman shook her head lightly as Hailey stood up straight again, followed by me bowing as well. _"Thank you, ma'am."_

…

The two of us were now, once again, walking down the dirt roads towards Hailey's home. I noticed in the distance large formations of bark and leaves jutting out from the dirt, as well as small bushes poking through the soil, flowers and berries blooming in every inch of the forest before me; yet still so far away. Was my mother right? Was that the place? Now that I think about it, why all of the doubt she had been radiating at the time? It seems so easy to walk right up to it, or am I wrong? Snapping out of my thoughts, I noticed Hailey had stopped at a house that looked extremely different from the rest; the brown paint was peeling, the garden overflowing with weeds and wilting flowers, the negative Aura the house emitted sent a shiver up my spine.

Hailey let out a soft sigh, a twinge of sadness radiating from her… _'Ever since my mother had died, this place has fallen into disrepair… I feel so ashamed now, showing my home to someone else…' _I stared at the dilapidated house, 'Her mother had died? So now she was only living with her father...' I felt a tiny bit of acrimony well up within me. 'Surely after something so tragic you would want to comfort your daughter and make the best of life for her? Guess not…' Sighing once more, she slowly walked up to the house before looking over her shoulder just before she was about to set foot in the garden, "Well, you want to come in?"

Slowly, I followed the sulking girl towards the run down house, looking around the wilted garden as I stepped through it. The stepping stones leading to the porch were almost completely hidden by the crushed leaves and dead flowers. Weeds grew through cracks in the rocks, making it uncomfortable to walk on, tickling my feet as I walked across. The intoxicating scent that had once emanated from the flowers was long gone; it only smelled of rotting fauna. My nose twitched a bit at the smell as I kept back a sneeze from the repulsive odor.

_Creak…creak…_ The long and ominous sounds from the porch steps made me shiver from the creepy feeling they caused. My stomach churned a bit as I stepped on the rotting wood, in fact it was so bad, the wood felt damp despite the constant sunshine and there were multiple holes from forest Pokémon making their home in the dying house. As we stepped onto the porch, she suddenly stopped, making me almost bump into her. She felt around with her foot, the ominous _Creak…creak…_ continued. After pushing her foot cautiously on multiple parts of the wood, she carefully stepped onto one section, before quickly stepping onto the other side so she was in front of the decaying door.

Confused by her behavior, I took a step forward, not doing the same steps Hailey had. Unfortunately, when I placed my foot on the wood, a large crack suddenly appeared from all of my body weight. Before I could react, the crack suddenly broke open to a small hole, with my foot falling into it and sending me flying forward. A panic suddenly went through me as I was sent tumbling down, my foot getting scraped from the broken wood, I closed my eyes and waited for my face to get hit with the wood. Fortunately, I stopped and was pulled out of the small hole in mere seconds. I could feel both my feet touch solid ground before I opened my eyes; Hailey was looking at me with a worried expression. "Are you alright?" she asked in a tone that matched her worried face. Folding my arms, closing my eyes, and looking away I nodded with a bit of a _humpf!_ As she looked away, however, I shook the wood chips from my foot. (Author: I don't like this bit… ^)

She placed her hand on the rusting doorknob and slightly turned it, before stopping; a memory flew into her mind, a time when everything seemed right…

_The house was beautiful at the time; a large and colorful garden blossomed in the front of the house welcoming all visitors with a pleasant aroma. Hailey and her pet Litleo were running up the porch steps, she laughed happily while Litleo let out joyful cries. As the girl was running up onto the porch, the door opened, her mother stepped outside holding gardening equipment. Hailey and her Litleo stopped and both greeted her mother cheerfully, "Hello mama!" and "Lit, Litleo!" The woman smiled at the two while bending down and scratching the Litleo behind it's small ears. She stood up and greeted them back, "Hello, you two seem to be having fun!" Hailey and the Litleo nodded, smiles plastered on their faces. "Well, I'm going to be doing some gardening, you two enjoy yourselves!" Both human and Pokémon nodded before running into the house; both eager to play…_

Sighing, Hailey opened up the doors to the old and unkempt house, a frown on her usually happy face. The inside of the house looked a little better than the outside; it was a bit dusty and dirty, the living room had a couch with a few tears and stains, the coffee table had garbage littering it, the hardwood floors were just as creaky as the outside wood, and a small TV stood on an old wooden TV stand. She stepped in with me following; I looked around at the slightly peeling wallpaper which was starting to become discolored. With a look of disgust, I sniffed the air only to recoil at the smell: The smell of mold, mildew, garbage, and rotting food clouded my senses from the utter stench. I sneezed from the smell being too much for my nose.

She looked back at me with a sad smile and said, "I know it isn't much but, welcome to my home…"

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Yes, I know I changed the title but honestly, this is the longest chapter I've written and I have to get my homework done! Don't worry, he will go to the forest in the next chapter, but what will await him? Who knows…? **_

_**COMPLIMENTS AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISISM ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED! R&R! :D**_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: A Palace of Beauty, Prosperity, and Hatred

_**Author's Note:**_

_**OH MY ARCEUS! 600+ VIEWS ALREADY! THANK YOUUUU! Anyways, once again, thank you everyone who has supported me and has read this FanFiction; words cannot express my gratitude! Secondly, I am sorry for this chapter not being up yesterday, (March 30**__**th**__**), like I planned for it to be; my laptop charger broke so now I have to use this laptop! Ugh, anyways, on with the preview! I do not own Pokémon, Nintendo owns Pokémon, not me.**_

Hailey continued her sad attitude as she turned on a lamp sitting idly next to the couch; its light didn't help the creepy atmosphere. Still searching around the house, I noticed a hallway with three doors; one on each side and one at the end. I also was able to barely look into the kitchen as I walked forward into the house past the couch, towards the hallway. The kitchen had the same hardwood floors, white tiles on the walls, a stove, cupboards, and other things you would find in a kitchen. However, I could smell the reeking stench of old food; its source? The overflowing garbage can near the entrance to the kitchen. That wasn't the only problem, however; some tiles were cracked, stains and ageing food sat on the marble countertops, the stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher all looked very decrepit.

A bit curious to explore, however, I turned my attention towards the hallway. I walked towards the dim hallway, it looking very familiar to the alleys I live in. Slowly, I took a step in the hallway; a loud and long lasting _Creeeaaaak…_ came from the old wood. A tiny bit of terror formed inside me, from the darkness or not knowing what was behind the doors, I do not know. As I put my hand on one of the doorknobs, however, Hailey suddenly sprinted towards me and grabbed my paw. Whispering, she explained, "Don't! You don't want to wake my father up! He hates Pokémon!" I immediately ripped my paw from her grasp, slightly baring my fangs from the sudden action, but going to the door opposite of the one I tried to open.

I opened this door, however, without Hailey intervening. And I understood why the second I opened it; it was her bedroom. I could tell right when I walked in, pink walls, cream carpeted floors, multiple posters on the walls, toys and dolls strewn across the floor, a bed with a floral design, and a white wooden dresser with some clothes sticking out. Her room looked substantially better than any other room I had been in inside the house. However, it still was a bit dusty and dirty, but didn't reek like the rest of the house. Walking inside, I looked at the toys lying on the floor; most were simple, baby dolls, blocks, a Mime Jr.-in-the-box, and other common toys. The dolls were all Pokémon, a Zorua, Ralts, Teddiursa, Wynaut, and a few others. Walking over to the Zorua doll and picking it up, I noticed this one looked the least worn out. Noticing me examining the doll, Hailey explained, "You see, I've always wanted to see a Zorua and a Zoroark someday." I looked over at her daydreaming face staring at the doll; her Aura emanated happiness, yet sadness, knowing she would probably never see one.

Gently setting the doll down, I walked out of her bedroom and gaining a confused look from Hailey. "Where are you going?" she asked as I walked past her, she continued watching me as I walked closer to the door. I simply motioned to the front door with my paw and continued walking, paying no heed as she ran towards me. Stopping next to the couch, she asked, "Oh, you're leaving?" she let out an empty laugh, "I admit the forest is a lot more interesting than this place." Shrugging my shoulders, I opened the door and walked out; not replying to Hailey's goodbye.

Now aware of the fragileness of the old wood, I expertly jumped over the hole and stairs, landing in the end of the dead garden. _Thud!_ Unfortunately, the landing caused a jolt of pain in my slivered foot, causing me to stumble and fall flat on my snout. Begrudgingly, I stood back up while rubbing my aching snout, muttering a curse under my breath; and shaking my injured foot, thinking the pain would go away. This was not the case as I started to walk on the weeds again, a dull, but throbbing, pain in my foot lingered as I hobbled out of the garden. Soon, thankfully, the pain started to evaporate as I walked on the green… Whatever this stuff is… Despite its somewhat 'spiky' appearance, it was very soft and comfortable to walk on; making my usual scowl change into a line across my lips.

As I continued walking towards the trees and bushes that awaited me, I noticed some of the leaves in the trees were already turning red, orange, and yellow. They danced with the green leaves in the wind, making them look like embers in the green fauna. I also noticed the green growing more abundantly and taller here, with the exception of dirt paths leading the way through the trees that seemed to get larger and larger with every step. Those paths, I would finally be able to walk them under the seemingly silent serenity of the swaying trees. Was this what I had been waiting for so long? Was I finally going to be able to walk into something I had been told about for so long? What if this is all just a dream, a hallucination, a figment of my imagination? No, it couldn't; the Aura radiating from it was too real and vibrant to be just a simple hallucination. I walked until I was at the very edge, this was it; I could finally fulfill the promise I made to my mother…

"_Mama! No! Please don't d-die!" I sobbed as I clutched my mother's paw, her dying Aura felt like it were also killing me; getting weaker and weaker, dimmer and dimmer. She looked up at me, her sanguine eyes staring at mine, except not full of tears. "R-Riolu… Promise m-me s-some-th-thing…" she barely spoke in her dying state. Blood, deep gashes, and burns covered her body, but she was still holding on, barely. I immediately shook my head and stopped sobbing to hear her last words, "Promise me, y-you'll make f-friends, live p-peacefully in th-the woods and try t-too forget a-about us… Please, d-don't be haunted by these memories. And never, __**never**__ g-give up h-hope…" And that was it. She was gone. "No…NO!" I screeched, breaking down and burying my face in my mother's torso; not caring if the blood soaked my paws and face. I felt powerless, I blamed it on myself, I wanted it all to be over. To go back to the way it was, I wanted my parents back…_

My eyes were closed and my head tilted downward as I relived the memory, her words replaying over and over in my mind. "Don't worry mom, a promise is a promise!" I stated loudly as I opened my eyes and stared straight into the forest, my eyes flashed with a sudden burst of determination. I took a step on the path and let my mind soak it all in… For some reason, a pang of acceptance shot through me, as if I were home again, with my mother; wrapped up in her protective grasp. Slowly, I took a few more steps into the forest, the shadows caused by the trees felt just like that alleys; helping me to relax even more. However, it all changed in an instant.

I could feel negative Aura mixed with the beautiful Aura of the forest, all the negativity was directed towards me, but why me? I could see multiple Pokémon, watching me with glaring eyes, filled with distaste and anger. Why, though, was something I didn't know as I looked around; the love and acceptance that had filled the air suddenly vanished, filled with rejection and hatred. I continued to simply look at all of the Pokémon scowling at me, reading some of their thoughts…

'_What is a city Pokémon doing here?' 'If he takes one step closer, he's gonna be dead in a second!' 'M-mama, I'm scared'… _

One of the thoughts of a certain Pokémon caught my attention; however, it was that of a Shiftry's: A past memory long ago, a dark one…

"_AAAAH!" Many shrieks echoed through out the blazing forest, the flames dancing on the falling trees; plus the bushes, grass, even the Pokémon! Fauna on the fleeing Pokémon were also ablaze, plus the fur and flesh of others! Blood painted the forest, as well as charred corpses of Pokémon burned alive; many still burning, the flames leaving them as ash. Seedot, Bidoof, Oddish, and many other Pokémon sprinted out of the wildfire; terrified looks plastered on their faces. Who was responsible, however? A group of Houndoor and Houndoom rushed through the scorching forest, firing Flamethrower and Ember attacks at every leaf that wasn't lit…_

That Houndoom, I recognized it as… 'No way… I-it couldn't be!? Is that why they are afraid and angry at me!? They assume I'm the same…' In surrender and to show I wasn't dominant; I dropped down to my knees and put my paws up, signaling I meant no harm. "Please, understand," I began to explain while looking at each Pokémon glaring at me, "I do not mean any of you harm, I only wish to explore. I promise." Nothing seemed to happen for the longest time, every Pokémon studied me, as if identifying if I were a threat or not; which, in truth, I wasn't.

Unfortunately, this was not the case in the other Pokémon's minds; and I could tell right away. "**GET THIS LYING SON OF A BITCH OUT!" **an extremely loud and rage filled voice screamed at the top of its lungs; easily breaking all of the silence. As if they were minions to an evil mastermind, they each sent out barrages of multiple types of attacks; all aimed towards me. Instantly, I stood and sprinted away, dodging Solar Beams, Magical Leaves, and Leaf Storms, as well as other attacks, along the way. Barely, one leaf sliced the bandages off my torso, exposing my healing wounds.

The immediate pain from my arms rubbing against the irritated flesh and the wind slowed me down as I tried to continue my escape. Struggling to keep running, I could feel the attacks coming closer and closer; despite me already having fled the forest. Suddenly, I felt the green wrapping around my ankles, making me fall onto my snout once more; pain shooting through my torso. I barely looked behind me to see a barrage of petals flying full speed at me; each one razor sharp. I felt instinct take over as my Aura suddenly flared, it visible around my entire body. Easily, my ankles broke right through their restraints, and I immediately got back up onto my feet.

As the petals dived towards me time seemed to slow, a new power suddenly showed itself to me, as if it had been lying dormant for the longest time. It started in my feet, a burning sensation, soon followed by flames crawling up from my toes to my heels; enveloping my entire feet in blue, burning flames. Intuitively, my feet started to rapidly kick at the oncoming petals, burning and deflecting them with ease; my splintered foot feeling no pain despite the flames. Without time to think about what I had done, the flames vanished as I swung around and continued running; my flaring Aura speeding me up and assisting in my abdication.

…

_Pant...pant…pant…_ The sound of my heavy breathing echoed throughout the dark alley walls as I sat against the dirty bricks. Sweat drenched my body, as well as pain from my legs and torso, my body continued shaking from too much of my Aura being used. Indeed, I now felt myself being stupid for attempting to use my Aura in my escape; especially added to no prior training in Aura, it had taken its toll. Wiping the sweat with my paw, I shifted uncomfortably against the walls; something was bothering me. It wasn't just the pain, no… Something else, something deeper: Hailey. It was something that kept bugging my mind, like a hurricane was stuck inside my skull. Why though, why did th- _"Riolu… Please, h-help…"_

My heart stopped beating for a fraction of a second: That was… Hailey's voice! 'No, how… It must be because of my tormented mind, yes! Have I finally snapped? Am I insane? No, I couldn't… could I?' _"P-please, Riolu, help!" _

This was not my imagination, this was real. I knew it. 'But, why is she calling for help? Where is she? Why am I so concerned? Better question, how did I hear her voice!?' I shook my head as I stood up, attempting to clear the voices rattling inside my brain; no avail. Rubbing my head from the slight headache, I closed my eyes and let Aura look throughout the network of alleys; wondering if she was here… She was. My eyes snapped open, 'What on all of Earth is she doing here!?' Immediately, and not giving it a second thought, I rushed through the alleys; litter trailing behind me.

I had been running through the alleys for a minute, expertly dodging any large objects on my path; almost kicking a homeless person in the back of the head as I did so. Eventually as I continued to run, I heard crying, feminine crying. It was faint, but I followed the soft noise, it becoming a bit louder and louder as I progressed. I could soon feel her presence, the extreme and intense waves of sadness, pain, and confusion almost made me lose my balance as I ran; the emotions clouding my senses. I was about to get one of the greatest shocks of my life…

_**Author's Note:**_

_**PLOT TWIST! OK, I guess I do owe everyone an EXTREME APOLOGY! I have been distracted by many things: Pokémon manga, drawing, and the still broken laptop charger, PLUS, I was dragged out of my bedroom and forced to go shopping FOR SIX HOURS WHEN I COULD HAVE BEEN TYPING! T_T Sigh… oh well… Anyways, compliments and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! R&R! (BTW, TODAY, (April 6, 2014), IS MY ONE MONTH ANNIVERSARY OF BEING A MEMBER ON FANFICTION! :D) **_


	8. Chapter 8: An Unfair Deal

Chapter Eight: An Unfair Deal

_**Author's Note:**_

_**OK, finally got the laptop charger replaced so I will be updating more, yay! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! I do not own Pokémon, Nintendo owns Pokémon, not me. (Yeah, not much to say… ^_^')**_

_Parents… What do you think when you hear that word? Someone who loves you and hugs you, would do anything for you; protect you with their life, or so I thought. You see, that's what my parents were like, so I always assumed that all parents were like that; boy was I wrong, __**very**__ wrong. I would __**never**__ think of a parent hurting their child, their everything; their most prized possession. So, when I saw what my eyes were telling my brain they were seeing, I felt my blood run cold; my heart skip a few beats. I simply froze in time, it felt like everything just paused; nothing acted, nothing talked, silence…_

_She simply lay there, curled up in the shadows of an alley's walls, crying; nothing else. Her body shook as tears dripped relentlessly onto the pavement, down her pale face. Her body was covered head to toe with injuries, lots of them; all from one source… Cuts and bruises covered her body, blood streaked down her cold skin, red contrasting off of white. Her grey eyes were barely open and full of shock, pain, and confusion; her Aura radiating the same. Her hands shivered as they were held close to her chest, blood dripping down her chin, her dress and tights torn; shoes covered in mud. Her hair was muddy and torn, like rough and ripped up straw. She stared at me with her pained stricken ivory eyes and whispered, "H-help me…"_

'_What happened? What happened? What happened?' It repeated in my mind over and over as I stared back at her with shocked ruby eyes, our stares not breaking for a fraction of a second. Slowly, though, she reached a shaky hand towards me; her fingers seemed to droop lifelessly in the air, a drop of blood falling onto the concrete. Drip…drip… Weakly, she attempted to stretch her arm out towards me, her hand still lifelessly dangling in the air. I averted my gaze to her outstretched hand; it seemed to be reaching for me, wanting to grab me, to hold me close…_

_Slowly, I eventually emerged out of my shocked state, still looking at her hand straining to grab me; unsure of weather to help her or not. Her state made me think back to me, dying on the concrete ground; she saved me. She brought me to a place where I recovered, she's the reason I'm not dead; I am in her debt. I will help. Gently, I moved towards her extended arm, it still remaining in the frigid air. Suddenly, however, her hand dropped from the air; almost falling onto the ground. Fortunately, I was able to grab her hand with both my paws before it fell to the ground. I looked at her tearstained face as her crying quieted until she spoke with her eyes slowly starting to close, "Th-thank…you…" _

_A sudden flood of memories broke into my mind upon touching her wintry skin, they whizzed by quickly, but I saw every little detail…_

XXXXXX

_As the Riolu whom had come with me to my home exited, I yelled goodbye while waving and smiling. His response? Nothing. Sighing quietly, I turned towards the hall and started to walk towards my room; a feeling of loneliness creeping through the wooden floors. My mind wandered back to him however, 'He seems to only think of me as another person, not as a friend or acquaintance like I see him… Perhaps I just have to give him time, that's all…' I sighed softly once more as I opened the door to my room…_

_I slammed through the door, easily breaking the slightly rusted doorknob; the bruises on my arm stinging even more with dull pain. As I crashed through the old wood and onto the weak and unstable porch, I had forgotten all about the hole left by the Riolu; my foot falling into the hole. I tumbled down the steps, splinters digging into my foot, more bruises and cuts appearing on my pale skin. As I crashed face-first into the mud, eating dirt, I heard my father stomp outside behind me. Oh how much I wish I could just __**beg**__ for mercy at the very moment, but with my injured state, I could barely move anymore…_

_I ran and ran, blood trailing behind me as well as my tears not caused just from the paroxysm of being beaten, but from knowing it was your father whom had done that. 'Why…?' it was a question I asked over and over again in my subconscious, there was no answer I could think of at the time. I was terrified and heartbroken; not from something as simple as a breakup, but knowing your father hates every inch of you and doesn't love you. But why did he do that, beating me black-and-blue, what was going through his mind? Rage probably, at least now I'm away but… Where do I go? I knew __**exactly**__ where to go…_

_XXXXXX_

_I snapped back into reality at the sudden surge of memories, the shock of the new information lingering however as I stared at her… 'What is she going to do now?' Yes, she is an orphan now; just like me. No parents to hug and love, only cold and empty loneliness; but that don't mean she's staying with me. No, that was a definite no. Not even zero percent, however, I will help her…but… Where do I go?_

_Beep…beep…beep… _The long monotone and ominous sound repeated over and over in the sterile hospital room, going according to rhythm with Hailey's calm breathing. My feet paced in front of her bed, going at a much faster rate than Hailey's calm breathing. Sighing in frustration, I stopped my pacing and walked over to the side of her bed; I studied her eyes: closed and appearing to rest. But what if there was something more going on inside her mind? 'What thoughts are buzzing around in her skull?' Oddly enough, it intrigued me; I never generally think what's going on in someone's mind.

Of course the answer seems obvious at first glance doesn't it? Dreams…nightmares…and all the other obvious answers, but what if there is something more; something deeper. Squinting, I took one of my paws and opened one of her eyes; a dull slate eye staring back at me. I continued to simply stare at it, watching as the pupils shrunk then dilated; what is she thinking about…? I checked her Aura, resilient and healthy, waves of bright blue radiating off of a calm and sleeping core. Yes, she is thinking of something, unfortunately, despite being very keen with Aura I cannot read dreams. Yes, I can read thoughts, but only if the user is emanating those thoughts outwardly. Like… an early form of telepathy, sort of… It's difficult to explain…

Growling a bit in irritation, I allowed her eye to close and started to pace again; closing my eyes as I did so and allowing my thoughts to wander…

_Why? Why, why, why, why, why!? What is with her that supposedly interests me!? I don't understand! There is no way in bloody __**hell **__that I like her in the slightest so why am I interested!? I don't get it! It just…ugh!_

I slammed my fist onto the cold floors, a pain shooting through my fist, arm, until it hit my head; making my migraine from trying to think even worse. Wincing, I clutched my head, my fist not even hurting from the previous trauma. My ears rung for a second, a sound like scratching metal in my mind; it stopped, however, when the automatic doors opened to a concerned nurse. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly as she ran over to me, her blue eyes flashed in alarm.

Slowly, I brought my paws down, nodding slightly, dull pain returning in my paw; though, as always I disregarded it along with the migraine that wanted to bring me to my knees. "Are you sure?" she still asked in concern, bending down to eye level with me. I backed up and growled a bit in defense, nodding slowly; 'Get any closer and I'll bite your hand off,' I thought inwardly, staring at her gloved hands. Sighing a bit in defeat, she stood up, "Alright, but if anything's wrong," she paused and looked at Hailey before finishing, "Just come get me OK?"

Sighing, I rolled my eyes and nodded, folding my arms and looking at her with sharp crimson eyes; she immediately looked away and started to walk towards the door, "I hope she gets better…" "Right," I muttered under my breath, "I 'hope' so too." I looked back at Hailey's sleeping figure, bandages and gauze covering her, wires, the whatnot. She was in fine condition, healthy even; it made me wonder why I was here in the first place. Yes I had brought her here, it didn't mean that I truly cared, yes I only feel a bit of sympathy for her father's actions but…

I just don't know…

"Mmm?" a small noise emanated from Hailey as her eyes started to flutter open, recoiling from the bright lights of the hospital room. I turned my head towards her, watching as her hands start to rub her eyes; drowsiness and confusion radiating from her Aura. Eventually, her arms fell back down to her bed as she sat up, her body aching a bit from the many injuries covering her. "R-Riolu?" she asked shakily, looking at my cardinal eyes staring back. "Did y-you bring m-me here?" she inquired, her ash eyes starting to tear up from my…'kindness'. I only nodded and crossed my arms before replying in a soft telepathic voice so she could only barely hear me, _"You're lucky. If that were from another Pokémon attack, I would have left you to die."_ Before even studying her reaction, I walked out with arms still crossed; only the tiniest bit of guilt in my soul.

Despite what I had said only seconds ago, she called out my name, "Riolu! Wait!" I continued to walk, paying no heed to her call; I could feel confusion and sadness radiating in large amounts from behind me. "What am I going to do!?" Then I stopped, and turned towards her; her arm outstretched the same way it was in the alley. _"Go anywhere, except with me,"_ I replied coldly, glaring at her; tears starting to form in her eyes. Her voice went hoarse and small as she spoke, "Please Riolu, p-please. I-I have nowhere else t-to go!"

Sighing and dropping my arms to the side, I walked slowly over to her bedside, placing one paw on the bed sheet and in front of her hand. _"Listen,"_ I started, closing my eyes I continued, _"I am not the one to stay with, you can go anywhere else…"_ My eyes opened full of anger, _"But with **me**."_ Suddenly, however, her hand gripped mine, hard; a fierce iron grip. A tear streamed down her cheek, full of sadness and a bit of anger, "I **have** nowhere else to go, don't you understand that!?" Her voice didn't shock me in the slightest; I felt my anger rise, _"No! How many times do I have to say-?"_ My sentence was cut off by a sudden motion Hailey made, and she was lucky her jaw wasn't broken in a fraction of a second.

She suddenly hugged me, my head on her shoulder, her hand on the back of my head; I could feel a tear run down my back, along with her gripping my fur. "Ple-ea-ease, please Riolu! I'm begging y-you!" she sobbed, more tears streaming down my back; I only stood, thinking about it. The both of us were silent for what seemed like forever before I spoke a word I wish I didn't have to say, _"Fine."_

_**Author's Note:**_

_**OK, I fixed it, added some things, and made this about… eh… 10x better! Yay! Yeah, changed the title but not the beginning Author's Note! Problem? Deal with it! *Gets hit in the head with another flower pot* Read and R-Review! Ugh… *Passes out, again!***_


	9. Chapter 9: Getting Used To It

Chapter Nine: Getting Used To It

_**Author's Note:**_

_**OK, forgot to clarify this: When Riolu talks, **_("Example,")_**, he is speaking in 'Pokémon Language'. However, when the words are italicized when he talks, **__("Example,")__**, then he is using telepathy.**_ _**Oh yeah, LONGEST CHAPTER WOOOO! (This is no longer the longest, that title has been taken by Ch.11!) Anyways, I do not own Pokémon, Nintendo owns Pokémon, not me. Thank you for over 1,000 views! :D**_

_The alleys, a place I had spent my life alone in for quite some time; I was fine keeping it that way. Waking up to soothing silence and darkness; beautiful seclusion, it was wonderful. The worn brick walls and the cold pavement, the litter resting innocently; it was a place of 'peace' for me. Sometimes, the brick walls had graffiti displayed on them; astonishing colors danced on the walls. Or they were painted with blood and bitter memories telling of pasts unspoken; either way I loved it, I loved all of it. Every inch. Alone. Me, myself, and I. I was just fine alone…_

_Until I had to set my eyes on __**her**__…_

_Thud…_ I gently hit my head against one of the alley's walls, wondering why I had agreed. _Thud!_ Why I had been so stupid to accept her company. _Wham!_ Why I had allowed her to stay with me. _Wham! _Why! Why, why, why, why!? Gritting my teeth from the stinging pain in my skull, I gripped my head; my tail whipping the air relentlessly. Looking away from the cold wall, I sat down, almost crushing my tail in the process, and rested my head against the wall; my paw still holding my head. Slowly, I brought down my blood-stained paw and looked at it; I simply stared at it for a few seconds before an idea popped into my mind.

Ignoring the pain, I stood on my feet again and looked at the wall, before looking at my paw once more. Nodding to myself, I slammed the blood-stained paw onto the wall, letting the blood set in before removing it; a red paw-print was left in its place. Four red markings, each one for each pad on my paw: A large one in the center and three oval-shaped ones surrounding the top of it. I stared at the paw-print as a bit of the blood streamed down the wall, and a bit down my face and onto my muzzle; giving me yet another idea. Squeezing the wound on my head, and ignoring the stinging pain, I let one of my 'fingers' get drenched in the red liquid. Removing my finger, I ran it against the alley's wall below the print; spelling out a word or, in this case, a name.

Expertly, I painted multiple lines, connecting them to form the name; and making me bleed even more when necessary. Eventually, I stopped my painting and took a step back to inspect my 'work': Below my small paw-print, the letters "R-I-O-L-U" were spelled; or, in simpler terms, "RIOLU". I felt a tiny bit of pride in my mind for creating this work of… Art? 'Is that what humans call it?' Shrugging my shoulders, I placed my paw onto my wound for the last time; applying pressure to stop the bleeding. As I did so, I could feel an all too familiar presence at the opening of the alley; my emotionless mouth carved into a scowl. "R-Riolu?" a small feminine voice called out to me, but I continued staring at the wall. I didn't need to use my eyes to tell who it was. It was **her**…Hailey…

Slowly, she walked into the alley and looked around uneasily; wary of the place ever since she was attacked. I could feel the fear radiating off of her at every step she took closer; eventually her eyes falling onto what I had created. Her eyes widened at my 'creation' as she studied it; straining her eyes a bit from the lack of sunlight. "Riolu, d-did you m-make th-this?" she asked, still not taking her eyes off of it. Crossing my arms, I looked at her with an eyebrow raised as if saying 'Are you really asking that question?'. Only then did she look at me and gasp at my condition: I had taken the bandages off after I left the hospital last night, it had all healed; even the fur had grown back. She also noticed the healing wound on my head which had stopped bleeding, as well as the line of dry blood running down my muzzle. I'm surprised nobody was concerned about her condition; she was wearing her dress and everything, except for her hat, but her outfit was still torn and ripped. Except now her hair had been brushed and it was in two long pig-tails.

"You're h-hurt!" she suddenly yelled in alarm while running towards me; and I immediately reacted by creating an Aura Sphere and pointing it at her. My crimson eyes glared at her as she stopped and slightly backed away; her fear growing. "S-sorry!" she barely squeaked, cowering in front of me. Sighing in frustration, I allowed the Aura Sphere to disintegrate and my Aura Sensors to fall gently back onto my head. Slowly, she stood back up to her full height, but she continued to shake from fear; I huffed at her bashfulness and turned away with my arms folded again. "H-hey! You look r-really scary when you do that, y'know!" she yelled in embarrassment, her Aura clearly emanating chagrin. I almost stopped scowling from slight amusement; 'Maybe this won't be so bad-?' I almost slapped myself in the face for thinking such a thing, why would I-!?

"So, what n-now?" she suddenly spoke up, stopping my train of thought; however I said nothing. It stayed silent for a few seconds before I 'spoke' up, _"Why can't you just go somewhere else except with me? Like with someone in the damn outskirts, or even in the forest?" _Her eyes widened in shock from my question and she quickly answered in a tone growing angrier, "Are you serious!? I just ran away from home, from my father! Why the hell would I want to be near him again!? And how could I even survive one day in the woods alone!?" I hate to admit it, but, she had a point; but I just don't…like her or want to be near her! I want her to be gone and my life to be back to the way it was, perfect, just me; nobody else. Nobody to tell me what to do or what to say; nobody to help or 'love'. "I think I know what's wrong; since your parents are gone you're afraid to-?" I cut her off, _**"WHAT!? AFRAID!? I'M NOT RUNNING AWAY FROM MY DAMN PROBLEMS, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM; I WANT YOU GONE! GO NOW BEFORE I KILL YOU!"**_

I stomped my foot on the ground, my paws balled up into fists, my tail whipped the air, I glared bloody knives at her; I was trying so hard against my raging Will not to kill her right then and there. She was silent, tears forming in her eyes, her lip quivering; her body shaking in sorrow. Her Aura radiated such intense heartache that it suppressed my resentment for a few moments, making me pause in my irritated state. I stared at a tear as it streamed down her face; her large grey eyes were becoming blurry from the tears wanting to gush out of their containment like a waterfall. And in a few seconds…that's what happened: It started with a few more tears, before she suddenly broke into a loud sob. That sob continued as she suddenly took off out of the alleys…away from me.

…

I kicked at the ground and clenched and unclenched my fists over and over; breathing in long and deep breathes. I was attempting to calm myself down after my anger; grief also now in my mind. Why grief, I hate her; sure she saved me and I saved her, but it was because of dire situation and instinct. It was **not **because I like her in the slightest; at all. So why grief, why any anxiety at all!? Closing my eyes I inhaled deeply, trying to flush out my senses; trying to get the regret out of my mind. No avail, of course. Growling in irritation, I opened my eyes which settled immediately upon the dry blood painted on the wall in front of me: It was no longer a deep glistening red, but a brown chipping creation of my imagination. Wearing away from the workings of time: Time wears away many things, buildings, the Earth, relationships…friendships, family, love… Time wears them all away: Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, but everything wears away.

I took a good swipe at the painting with my claws; miniscule pieces of dried blood fell onto the pavement. You see, although time wears things down to nothing, other things can too. Outside influences can make things deteriorate quicker, or can slow it down; but nothing can stop time making everything crumble down into dust. I kept taking multiple swipes at the blood, the brown bits making tiny brown dots contrasting against the grey floor. In the end, there were only brown splotches covering the bricks; they used to be a red painting dripping down the rough surface. Now they were nothing but remnants of the creation. I stopped my scratching, panting as I looked at the wall; then a thought entered my mind, 'What if these brown splotches are me? In the end, my relationships with family were completely destroyed by time and Houndoom… What if Hailey was right? What if I fear that happening again? What if I fear losing another person in my life, with me left to mourn and grieve?'

I sighed loudly; I didn't want to admit it, but… Maybe I owe her an apology; but…how? I just snapped at her, and her sadness… She probably wouldn't even forgive me, but what would I care? Apologize then leave her to do whatever; BAM! All of my grief is solved! Nodding, I turned towards the alleys and closed my eyes; my Aura Sensors gently rising. A few seconds later I was able to see the Auras very close to me; the headaches I had been getting were reducing my Aura abilities, wearing them down to almost nothing. Normally I would only be able to see two yards ahead; it was very limited but it helped me when I searched. Unfortunately, now it was only a yard in front of me; and three feet ahead doesn't help very much. Growling in frustration, I opened my eyes; my Aura Sensors fell gently back onto my head. Guess I'll actually have to use my eyes.

…

It had been hours ever since I had begun searching, and now I was walking the outskirts under the moonlight; under the twinkling stars, under the heavens. No trace of Hailey no matter where I went: No footprints, scent, nothing. Not even a trace of her Aura lingered anywhere. Currently, I was in the outskirts since I had searched **every single inch **of **every single alley **in the **whole city**, and found absolutely **nothing! **Growling in annoyance, I was walking by the same bakery I had eaten by earlier; the happy Aura it used to radiate had worn away; confusing me. Surely a place usually so 'happy' would stay like that throughout all of the hours of the day and night. Sorrow at this intensity isn't normal for this kind of area, even at night, unless- Suddenly the door opened, with a sad Hailey standing in the door frame; looking at me with heartbroken eyes…

_Apologies, they're difficult, but we do them all the time. Battling against grief and wanting to help a relationship recover from a situation. They are usually difficult, but delicate; one wrong word and it's all over. The relationship is broken and is hard to fix, which is what makes an apology so difficult. You stutter and sweat, your mind goes blank as you try to find the right words; the other person watches with intent, sad, or even angry eyes. They expect a sincere and meaningful speech to say sorry, sometimes not even accepting it; rejecting it. They leave the depressed one in even more ruin, the one who rejects it in even more anger. That is the problem with apologies; they're difficult…but we've gotta do 'em. And somehow, we do…_

"Here to yell at me again, Riolu?" she asked in a small and hoarse voice that was obviously crying not too long ago. I simply stood there, frozen on the spot; why though, am I so nervous, I've never felt this way before. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of my head, my tail laid idle on the ground; my paws shivering a bit from tension. "Nothing?" she spoke up again, her voice not any louder than before. _"I-I… j-just wanted to s-say," _I paused and looked down at the grass, avoiding her eyes. I was silent, debating whether to say sorry or not; I could just run away right now and forget about this…but it wouldn't be right. I finally made eye contact with her and barely said my apology, _"I'm sorry…"_ The two of us didn't say anything, yet our eyes never looked away from each other; rubies and diamonds shined under the moonlight. She finally muttered, "I forgive you…"

_Silence, it can drive someone to madness or its necessary; either way it's something we do all the time. Whether not knowing what to say or listening, we use silence everyday; the most common? Silence after an apology, it lasts for either a few seconds to even a few minutes. An unnoticed tension can also be created by silence, as well as evidence that someone is lying. Silence and time work together; cracking people easily under the pressure. It can also give someone clarity and time to think; such as meditation for example. In utter silence, we can think clearly, but it also literally starves our minds of input; making some go mad. In this case, the silence was waiting: Waiting to see who would make the next move, and it was only a matter of time…_

I turned and broke her gaze away from my eyes which were now closed as I walked away, however, she still asked the dreaded question, "What am I going to do?" I answered her question in a mere second as I continued to walk, _"Stay here with that woman, I am going back to the alleys. And __**don't**__ bother me again…" _The last sentence I told her was in a grim and slightly angry tone, trying to emphasize the fact that I didn't ever want to see her again. Unfortunately, she continued on with her questions, starting to follow me as the two of us walked back to the city; I didn't stop and neither did she. "Riolu, you know I couldn't stay here because of my father, it would be too dangerous, so-?" I interrupted her statement, knowing full well it was going to turn into a question I don't like. _"I know I said you can, but…"_ I stopped my walking, but she continued; stopping when she was right behind me.

"_I changed my mind, since I was given time. Unlike your question in which I had five seconds, grief, and you had my sympathy to boot,"_ I stated; while trying to keep my temper under control. "Riolu, you know you just can't change your mind like that!" she argued back as she circled around me until she was in front of me. I could see the fear of being alone in her eyes. Sighing in frustration, I said in a small yet anger-filled tone, "_I don't want you to stay with me, I want to be alone. Can't you understand-?"_ She interrupted my sentence with an angry stomp on the ground, her face plastered with anger. "Can't you understand that I have to stay with you!? Please Riolu, I'm begging, honestly!" as she ended her sentence, her anger turned back into the same heartache she was experiencing earlier; almost as intense, too.

Once again, grief filled my senses as I looked at her; half of my mind was shouting, "YES, YES, YES, YES!" While the other half yelled, "NO, NO, NO, NO!" it was a battle, a raging war inside my head. While I had thought about it more in the alleys, I now had serious time to think; Hailey seemed to be waiting intently for my answer that was, to her, painfully obvious. She could be a great risk: If the Houndour pack ever found us again, they would probably kill us. Preferably me since I killed Houndoom and she would be another mouth to feed; and food is already scarce. It's not like I get a full three meals every day, no! I get garbage scraps, and she'd get the same! Nobody cares if you're a human or a Pokémon: If you're homeless you're a disgrace to society and you don't deserve to live. Then again, if I trained her like my father trained me, she could be useful…

XXXXXX

_The young Riolu, only two months old, kicked and punched an old, full garbage bag lying on the alley's floors. Sweat was already coursing down his fur as he tore the bag to shreds, garbage spewed out of the torn up confinement like a wounded person bleeding out; or, in other words, garbage went everywhere. Many grunts could be heard from him as he kicked furiously at his target, while sometimes losing his balance from not being too good on his legs yet. Soon he switched to punches which were easier for him since he didn't have to worry about balancing on one foot, and added to the fact he was a fighting type; the young Pokémon was relentless. With one final punch, he stopped his attack and slumped to the floor; panting heavily as his tongue drooped out of his mouth. His tail laid dormant on the cement behind him, so did his eyes which stayed glued to the bag of garbage and shredded pieces of the plastic bag…_

_The same young Riolu sat on one of the buildings roofs, his legs crossed, his eyes closed, and his paws in a prayer position; he was meditating. He inhaled and exhaled deeply as his Aura sensors levitated in the air, picking up the Auras around him; which was, sadly, extremely limited. However, he strained his Aura Sight to look inside the building and its many inhabitants. No avail. All he could see was the outside on the roof; the only two other Auras? His mother and father's Auras. They were monitoring him as he meditated, watching and making sue he didn't get hurt in the process. However, the young Riolu strained even harder trying to get a good look inside the building. Just when he swore he could see the Aura of an inhabitant on the highest floor, a massive headache hit him; in fact it was so bad he blacked out…_

XXXXXX

_Yes, if I could train her just like that it could come to good use, plus another pair of eyes to search for food. She could also manipulate the people of the city to give us food, it did seem like a good plan; all I have to do is cooperate with her. Unfortunately, that is going to be difficult, especially since her attitude isn't going to help her training. Guess I'm just going to have to get used to it… Oh well… _Sighing, I grabbed her hand and pulled her behind me towards the city. _"We've got a lot to work on…"_

_Y'know, I had always hated living with others besides friends and family, like one time when I provided shelter for an abandoned Pokémon… It was an abandoned Mienfoo, a female one at that, I remember her; it wasn't too long after my personal tragedy. I remember we ended up bumping into each other as we were searching for food. And, of course, at my youth I was afraid of her; even though she was heavily injured when I found her. She asked if she could stay with me so she could heal, and I agreed; even though I was scared of her at the time. All she did was bring trouble and got us attacked, yes, even me; even though I never did anything…_

So now, as me and Hailey sat under the moonlight across from each other, I wonder, 'Will Hailey be the same? Will she be nothing but trouble, or will she actually be useful? Will I get killed from being near her, or will I live?' I looked at her, both of us with tired and lethargic eyes; we were both tuckered out after the long walk back here. Back to where we had argued, my head was against the wall that I had painted and abused; my tail curled up and on my lap. My paws also rested on my lap, Aura Sensors dormant, my crimson eyes barely open. Hailey was sitting in the same position, except now her eyes were now open, as if she had just gotten an idea. However, I was to tired to even try and move at the movement, so I just stayed still and watched her; she shivered a bit as another wind blew through.

I yawned and closed my eyes, not caring too much about Hailey's idea; besides, if I'm going to train her I need my rest too. Unbeknownst to me, Hailey was crawling towards me; softly and gently as if the concrete would creak and reveal her plan. She sat down next to me, but not so that we were touching, but very close. To test if I were asleep, she barely poked my arm, no response from my sleeping state. Gently, she picked my limp body up, my eyes barely opening from the sudden motion, before almost snapping open as she did something I would never consider in a lifetime: She placed me on her lap. My head laid on her chest as my body lay against her stomach and her lap; my tail still curled around me. Unfortunately, in my drowsy state, my legs and arms felt like lead; I needed sleep, but… _No, it would be no use to move besides… _She wrapped her arms around me and fell asleep… _Maybe I can get used to this…_

_**Author's Note:**_

_**OK, the chapter is FINALLY FINISHED! :D Oh yeah, guess I should tell you guys I'm getting rid of Pokémon Renaissance: Aura and Evolution, I don't know… I just don't think Fantasy is my type of story writing I guess… Eh, I'll just stick with my realistic stories! By the way, I might make a PMD Story just for the hell of it! Who knows…?**_


	10. Chapter 10: Training, Bonding, Survival

Chapter Ten: Training, Bonding, and Survival

**_Author's Note:_**

… **_Hmm… What to say about this chapter… Eh, I got nothin'… I do not own Pokémon, Nintendo owns Pokémon, not me._**

_The first feeling you get when you are first born? Well, it depends: Where were you born? What are you? Who are your parents? For me, the first feeling was the sunset on my back, a warm and gentle touch. The other feeling was the cold and hard touch of the cement, my wet, bloody fur touching the cold concrete. I coughed up fluid out of my newborn lungs, allowing me to take in my first breaths; the next thing were paws picking my dripping body up, gentle, yet rough, paws. A coarse cloth scrubbed the blood and fluid from my fur, staining the rag and making my fur dry and fluffy. Next I felt my body lying against something warm and soft, gently moving up and down as I could feel panting breaths caressing my skin. A paw moved up and down my back in a comforting matter, as well as a soft and sweet voice in my head; and I recognized it instantly._

_I slowly opened my large sanguine eyes, only to meet bright sunlight, and I recoiled from the light; closing my eyes once more. I tried to open my eyes again, the sunlight still making my eyes burn, but I managed to keep them open to see her…my mother. The first time I saw her, I just stared at her tired sanguine eyes; they were gentle and soft, like an angel's watchful eyes. "Hello, s-son," she spoke in her loving, but drowsy, voice. I responded with a small smile and blinked a few times before saying my first word, "Mama?" Her smile widened and a single tear sprung to her eyes as she suddenly hugged me tightly, nodding yes quickly. Suddenly, a different voice spoke next to me, a male voice, "Hon, be careful. He's only a newborn." As my mother let me go, I looked over at the other voice: A male Lucario was watching me intently, but a small smile was on his face._

_I tilted my head to the side and blinked before responding, "Dada?" His smile remained small, however, as he nodded slowly; his eyes, however, were a lot different from my mother's. They were more stern and sharp, but they were still happy from my birth; I could tell he was serious, but not strict. I barely sat up on my mother's lap, placing my paw on her chest for support, I continued to stare at my father's face; his eyes were a bit concerned at my sudden inquisitiveness. I brought my face closer to his, but only a tiny bit; still staring at his eyes. Suddenly, though, I stopped staring at him at put my free paw up to my chest; my tail suddenly swung to life. Almost understanding immediately he asked, "You?" I nodded quickly, and then pointed to my chest again. After a few seconds of pondering he replied again to my actions, "Who are you?" Again I nodded quickly, my tail sweeping the air at a faster pace. The two looked at each other before my mother responded, "You are-"…_

XXXXXX

I awoke to something shifting around in my arms, an odd noise that sounded like muffled voices was also emanating from the Riolu lying on my lap; still curled up appearing to sleep. He seemed to be smiling as he rolled around, allowing his tail to wag slowly; I smiled down at him. This was actually one of the only times I had ever seen him smile, I hope he's having pleasant dreams; despite how he's yelled at me before…Sigh… I always wondered why he was so angry all the time, but I'm not the one to question; perhaps his past is as dark as mine… But I won't know unless he tells me, which will probably be never. Once again he shifted, turning so his back was on my lap, his tail still lightly hitting my arm. I started scratching his chest, getting a content growl from his throat; his tail wagging faster. My smile widened as his legs kicked playfully, it seemed that nothing bad had ever happened; like we had known each other for a long time, as if were just innocent souls together in our own little happy moment. However I was well reminded this was not the case as Riolu's eyes opened, then widened in shock.

XXXXXX

My pleasant dreams were suddenly interrupted by my conscious crash landing into my subconscious and snapping me awake; unlike when I arrived pleasantly in my dreams. First thing I noticed was Hailey's hand scratching my stomach, next was her face of realization; the last thing was the most shocking… I was lying on her lap… The two of us just stared at each other, me with a shocked face, and her with a look of realization. After a few seconds of staring, I suddenly scrambled to get off of her; kicking her in the gut in the process. Rolling onto the pavement I clambered to my feet, next glaring at Hailey; not caring about her now aching gut. I was too angry at her for me being on her lap; in fact I was mad for her **even touching** me. "Ow… _Cough!_ R-Riolu, what was that f-?" I interrupted her sentence and resisted the intense urge to pin her to the wall, _"What the hell was_**_ I_**_ doing on _**_your_**_ lap!?" _

A look of confusion and jolt covered her facial features before she responded in a rather calm tone, "I put you on my lap last night, I was freezing and… You didn't seem to mind." I studied her face to tell if she was sincere, 'How on Earth could I be alright with her doing that, did she-?' Suddenly I pinned her to the brick walls, _"Did you drug me!? What did you do to me!?"_ The thing was, I couldn't remember her putting me in her arms at all last night, and that was the main reason I was worried; a bit terrified, even, about my condition. Hailey seemed to be completely flabbergasted by my demanding questions, but still answered in a more panic-struck voice, "No! I would never do that to you, **ever**! Besides, I didn't cause any real harm to you!"

For a few moments we were both silent, just staring at each other as I considered her words; finally letting her go. Taking both of my paws off of her shoulders, I jumped off of her lap onto the cold pavement once more; before looking at the outside of the alley. In curiosity, Hailey stood up and looked at the outside of the alley, but still rubbed her gut; I barely looked over my shoulder to look at her… To make sure I didn't break anything internal, then we'd be in trouble. _Sigh…_ I turned my head back towards the front of the alley and spoke, _"Are you ready for your first lesson in survival?"_

…

"Do we really have to do this!?" I heard the whining voice of Hailey behind me for the third time as I dug through the dumpster, looking for our…'meal'. I didn't even respond to her question, however, since I had already told her two times before and was getting sick of telling her. She was lucky that I was doing the dirty work, since she had refused to do it, but I knew that even eating the food for her was going to be difficult. So all I simply did was nod as I threw another food wrapper behind me and growled in annoyance that it didn't even have a few crumbs left on it; Hailey catching the wrapper mid-air as it floated down. She looked at the wrapper for a few seconds before sighing and letting it fall to the ground, before watching me again. "Riolu, seriously do we-!?" I interrupted her whining out of pure annoyance and growled, _"Yes…we do."_

Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be enough for her since she kept on complaining, making my already difficult job ten times worse! Before she could say another complaint, I grabbed a rather heavy piece of trash and threw it down onto the pavement right in front of her; making her jump back and become silent. I glared at her one last time before continuing my search…which lasted for another five minutes before I actually found something, and I knew Hailey wasn't going to like it. Sighing and shrugging my shoulders, I jumped out of the dump and landed in front of Hailey. The 'food' in my right paw while my left paw was clenched into a fist from annoyance, the only way I could keep my frustration from building up into anger. The 'food'? A half eaten apple, I know that doesn't sound bad, but… Added to the fact that the flesh of the apple was brown and a bit of fuzzy mold was growing on the skin, it looked mildly unappetizing… For me anyway, but Hailey? Yeah, no…

"**EEEW! NO!" **she shrieked as I handed the food to her, and as she backed away into the other wall of the alley with a genuine look of pure disgust on her face. I gave her a look of frustration as my tail whipped the air in annoyance, and I responded simply with, _"It's food, _**_eat_**_ it." _She gave me a look of shock, almost horror, and yelled in response, "Th-that's not **food**, that's **g-garbage**!" Narrowing my eyes at her I responded in an angry, yet controlled, tone, _"I don't care, just eat it_." She just stared at me as if I were absolutely insane, or if I had gone brain-dead, either way she still looked genuinely shocked. Steeling herself, she grabbed the half-eaten apple, and almost dropped it due to the mold covering it; but luckily she didn't. "Are you sure I won't die from eating this?" she asked as her face turned a shade of green upon inspecting the rotten fruit.

I stayed silent for a few seconds before responding in a seemingly matter-of-fact tone, _"You might get a small stomach-ache because your body isn't used to this kind of food. It will not kill you, however."_ Unfortunately, my words didn't seem to be as reassuring as I hoped because all she did was hand the apple back to me with a still-disgusted look on her face. Growling, I ripped the apple from her grasp and decided to take a bite without any second thought; and disgusting Hailey even more by doing so. Although on the outside I didn't seem to be fazed by the nasty aliment, I kind of wanted to throw up; trust me, it doesn't feel natural to eat something fuzzy. "H-how did you-?" I interrupted Hailey's question with an obvious answer, _"You get used to it."_ Sighing in defeat, she took the apple from my hands and slowly brought it up to her mouth; in fact, it was so slow I almost started tapping my foot. She took a small bite… And then all hell broke loose. Let's just say… Next thing I knew I was waiting for Hailey to stop vomiting. _Sigh…_ This was going to be a long day…

…

I had been waiting for Hailey to finish her breakfast for about five minutes, and let me tell you, anyone else would have found it slightly humorous: Every time she took even the smallest bite, she recoiled strongly from the taste; making a face as if she had eaten something **extremely **sour. "R-Riolu, I-_Cough!_ I don't think I can eat this anymore," I could hear Hailey behind me sputter, a disgusted tone in her voice. Sighing, I turned towards her, and almost turned right back around in pure disgust: A puddle of vomit painted the alley floor, the green mush had the same color as the green tint on Hailey's face. Next, her face a mix of green and red, red from embarrassment, "Ha, ha, ha… Yeah, sorry!" Rolling my eyes I held out my paw, leaving Hailey puzzled as the two tints vanished from her face, "Huh? What Riolu?" My tail whipped the air as I motioned to the apple which looked as if Hailey took maybe…eight bites at the very most. Finally getting the memo, she handed the apple over to me; and I took a large bite as she gave it to me, disgusting her yet again. "I still don't know how you eat that…"

…

We had been walking around the alleys for quite some time now… Why? Hailey wanted to find a spot that was, at the very least, decent; and that was not going very well. She had wanted to sit down somewhere where it wasn't too dirty, despite me telling her that no matter what, she was going to get dirty anyways. Hailey walked at a slower pace behind me, studying the alleys as we walked through them; mostly the ground we were walking on. "Why are the alleys this dirty?" she asked as we walked, and I only shrugged in response and kept walking. "Is there any place here that isn't?" she inquired, making me pause for a second. 'Is there actually someplace here like that? I don't think so, but really the only place clean we could reach would be,' I looked up at the tall skyscrapers, 'On the rooftops…' Hailey suddenly stopped upon noticing me inspecting a building that was close by: It was a large, but short, convenience store; and it looked pretty easy to scale.

"Riolu? What are you doing?" she asked as I walked towards the brick building, my tail being dragged against the pavement as I walked. Without answering I stopped once I was in front of the building, many pipes traveled across the back of the store, along with wires, and other things humans use in building. Expertly, I climbed on the metallic, rusted pipes; easily getting from one to another. Hailey watched with wonder as I ascended up the building, but I could also feel a bit of confusion radiate from her upon my actions. In a few seconds, I was atop the building looking down at Hailey, who shot me a perplexed look as she walked over; which was soon followed by a question: "Why are you up there?" I only stared back emotionless before gesturing her to climb up with my paw, pointing at the roof of the building. Shocked, Hailey retorted back, "What!? Climb the building, why!?" I stayed silent before responding, _"You want someplace clean to sit? This is the best I can do."_ Unfortunately, from this distance Hailey couldn't hear me clearly, and I was alerted when she raised an eyebrow and asked, "What?"

Growling in frustration, I simply motioned to the roof again; hoping Hailey would get the memo. She did, fortunately, by giving up with a sigh and saying, "OK, fine…" Placing two hands on one of the pipes she started to climb, I watched her as she did so: She didn't seem to be new to climbing, but she still slipped sometimes and was breathing heavily by the time her hands were on the edge of the roof. Now any normal person would've helped her up, but me? No, she was going to have to learn to do this by herself; if she wanted to live. "Riolu, can you give me some help…please?" she asked exhausted from the climb, I could feel her Aura giving off small and tired waves of exhaustion; making her Aura sort of purple-ish. I only stood as she attempted to pull herself up, which was not going well; in other words, she couldn't pull herself up. Glaring, but not saying a word, I suddenly grabbed both of her hands and pulled her forcefully up onto the roof.

Letting out a large exhale, Hailey asked the question again, "Why did I…have to…climb this…building?" Letting go of her hands, I walked over to the center of the building before repeating the answer I had given her earlier, _"You want someplace clean to sit? This is the best I can do."_ Still breathing heavily, Hailey sat up and took a moment to look around, and I was right; this place was a lot cleaner than the pavement. "OK, fine. Let's do this uh… What are we doing again?" Hailey asked as her breathing slowed down, looking at me with a confused face. _"Meditating," _I stated simply as I sat down and got into position: Legs crossed, paws in a prayer position, eyes closed, Aura sensors floating mid-air. "Huh!?" I heard the sound of Hailey's shocked voice ring in my ears. "You said you would train me in Aura, not-" I cut off her statement with eyes still closed in a calm manor, _"Meditating allows the body to tap into its own Aura, the first step in being able to manipulate it for multiple purposes. Pokémon that train themselves to use Aura, my species and my evolved form, can use it in combat, for speaking, seeing Aura, and many other things. Unfortunately, my father only taught me about meditation, and I'm still perfecting it; I won't be a true master of Aura for a long time. Do you understand that these early stages are extremely important for you in using Aura?" _

Sighing, Hailey nodded and stood up; her breathing and Aura had returned to normal by this point, as well as her curiosity. I could **feel** it emanating from her. _"Sit, just like the way I am,"_ I instructed before inhaling deeply; flushing out my system. Doing what I told her, she sat down and got into the same position; even inhaling deeply the same way I did. I could easily see Hailey's Aura in front of me, while she, on the other hand, didn't see mine. _"What do you see?"_ I asked her as she meditated, or at least she was trying. "Nothing, just darkness," she replied, yet kept her eyes closed. Silently, I opened my eyes to look at her: She looked calm and normal, but I could feel her straining to see. _"I know why: You're not relaxed, you're not letting your mind flow. Here, open your eyes and stand up,"_ I instructed her as I stood and walked toward the front of the store. Opening her eyes, she watched as I turned towards her; my fur shining in the afternoon sun beating down on the both of us. _"Watch,"_ I stated simply before closing my eyes, standing on one foot, and putting my paws in a similar prayer position. Inhaling, I raised my paws towards the sun; exhaling, I brought them into the same position they were in before.

"Yoga?" Hailey asked, cocking her head to the side as she stared at me. I opened one eye and shot her a puzzled look before responding, _"Yoga? I don't know what that is; I'm only doing what my father taught me."_ She blinked a few times before muttering an, "OK," and getting into the same position; and sometimes I'm grateful for having a tail. Why? Hailey definitely is bad at keeping her balance; that's for sure. I knew I was going to have to help her with this, great… Sighing, I let my paws drop to the side and my foot onto the floor; before walking over to Hailey whom was trying to get her balance. Sometimes, I hate being small… Next thing I knew Hailey had fallen on top of me: My face and the front of my body were crushed against the concrete, Hailey lying sideways on top of me; my tail throbbing from Hailey's bodyweight crushing it. In an angry, yet controlled, tone I demanded, **_"Get off." _**Immediately, Hailey scrambled to get off of me; but I just laid there, not moving even when she got off of me. "Uh… Sorry Riolu, are you alright-?" I interrupted her by standing up, a bit of blood dripping from my muzzle; I glared as she looked at me with a shocked face. "You're hurt-!" I interrupted her while turning and walking towards where we had ascended, _"I'm aware, let's just,"_ my cheeks burned a little bit, _"Go back into the alleys…"_

…

After the two of us had descended down the store, I had decided to teach her about combat; even though she denied wanting to be trained in it. I had told her she would mainly use it for self-defense or if she wanted to beat the crap out of somebody, but we both secretly knew that that would probably never happen. Before we even started, however, she grabbed a torn piece of cloth she had found on the alley's floor. I watched as she dipped it in a puddle of water that had leaked out of one of the rusty pipes; trying her best to get some of the dirt from the white cloth. Nodding she walked towards me with the cloth in her hand, some drops of water streamed down her arm, reminding me of when I had found her in the alleys… As I zoned out reliving the memory, I didn't realize Hailey wiping the dried blood off of my fur; and applying pressure to my muzzle. So you can bet that I was shocked when I snapped back into reality. I suddenly jumped back and away from Hailey, shocking her; but instead a smirk crawled up her lips as she let the cloth fall to the floor. "You can be so jumpy sometimes…"

_**Author's Note:**_

_**DON'T WORRY MY AWESOME PEEPS, THEIR WILL BE A MASSIVE PLOT-TWIST NEXT CHAPTER, BUT WHAT!? MWAAHAAHAAHAA!**_


	11. Chapter 11: Decisions

Chapter Eleven: Decisions

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Hi, peeps! Been busy, again! Anyways, ON WITH THE CHAPTER! I do not own Pokémon, Nintendo owns Pokémon, not me.**_

_Decisions, decisions; we make them all the time. Major and minor, sometimes life changing: Like life or death. Or sometimes what flavor of ice-cream you want. Of course, what's major and what's minor differs in multiple people. For some, a flavor of ice-cream is as important as life or death; get the creamy, rich vanilla or the saccharine, flavorful chocolate. Or maybe the strawberry, or the cookie dough. How do I know this? Well, when you can sense Aura; if someone starts to try to decide on even the tiniest thing they radiate it so strongly I can pick it up from more than two yards away. It almost feels like a Bouffalant smashing through my skull; a sudden surge of voices in my mind arguing. It was one of the first signs of my keen Aura abilities; it was a five-year olds voice ringing in my head. You see, I had snuck away from my parents while they were busy; I was just outside the alley when I heard the boy's voice…except he wasn't speaking. He was thinking, debating; an argument with himself. _

_Right now, Hailey and I were discussing a certain subject as the sun rose, the glow barely filtering through the barren rooftops. And now, my Aura sensors were picking up her 'inner voice' so much I thought my head was going to explode! What are we discussing? Whether to stay in the city or not; and it was a difficult decision indeed. I didn't want to even go near the forest ever again, especially almost being killed as soon as I stepped foot into the place. However, Hailey actually made a pretty convincing argument: If we could somehow make __friends,__** acquaintances**, with the forest Pokémon, more meals and better shelter for us. I tried to explain my reasoning that this was my perfect place to live, I don't know why; it was difficult, __**difficult **__to explain to her. But, surprisingly, she understood; yet still continued her argument. Some people are just so damn stubborn…_

"Y'know, Riolu. I think I know the perfect place me and you could stay; it's just outside the woods in the outskirts," Hailey started to explain, but I cut her off, _"Wait, I thought you had explained to me earlier that you didn't want to go to the outskirts; hence your father."_ As soon as I mentioned her father, Hailey looked down at the ground, saddened. Clutching her legs closer to her chest and resting her head on her knees, she explained, "Its right outside of the forest, at the edge. Far away from the community; it's kind of just like here…desolate." I paused to ponder about what Hailey had said, 'It's just like here, like the alleys: Peaceful and desolate…' I was only going to give her one chance, **one** chance...

We sat in silence for a few seconds, us just staring at one another; Hailey still clutching her legs, my tail lightly hitting the ground with every passing second. I nodded and stood replying,_ "OK, I'll give you one chance, but only one chance...OK?"_ Nodding, Hailey stood up, a chill running down her spine as a gust of wind blew past; reminding me about all the chilly months ahead of us. 'Hmmm, I know Hailey would freeze easily in the cold but...so would I, but I'm more protected because of my fur. What if I get her warmer clothes? How?' It was much more easier to think due to Hailey not thinking, my brain not being rattled by her obnoxious voice._ "Well, if we are going to live there, you need clothes that have to be a lot warmer,"_ I explained as I studied her, yep, she would freeze in no time at all.

A bit embarrassed, she replied in an uneasy tone, "I do? Well, where would we get some?" This question made me stop and think, 'Where would we get clothes, nobody would give us any. Hailey and I don't know of anyone close to give us anything. Hmmm... What if we stole some from a store...yes, that could work; if the police don't catch us at least. That would be bad, us caught and being locked in jail; Hailey would probably be hit the worst mentally. I'm used to being chased by police before, almost being put into jail... However, I think I could make it work...we won't get caught...' Hailey stared at my blank expression before asking, "So, uh... Where would we get some warmer clothes?" I blinked a few times, snapping myself out of my thoughts before replying, _"I have an idea, but you probably won't like it..."_

_..._

**"WHAT!?" **Hailey's shout reverberated throughout the alley, almost attracting the attention of people outside the alley. _"Quiet!"_ I yelled telepathically, _"You'll attract attention!"_ Lowering the volume of her voice a bit she asked, "Why on all of Earth would we do that!?" I raised an 'eyebrow' and retorted back, _"You have any better ideas?"_ She was about to argue back before she fell silent, realizing my point. Staring down at the ground and rubbing her arm uneasily she confessed, "I just...never thought of stealing anything...or breaking the law at all." I rolled my eyes in annoyance before responding,_ "So what? We're not going to hurt anyone unless we have to. Besides, you better get lost to breaking the laws fast, especially when you're already living with a thief."_ This shocked Hailey, even though why would she be shocked at all? Everybody steals, I've just taken it to a higher level than sneaking a dollar out of your mother's purse; I haven't killed anyone, I've just stolen some items...no big deal. "Y-you're a th-thief!?" Hailey stuttered as she stared at me with wide eyes. I nodded while rubbing the gold collar on my neck, scratches were embedded into the metal; scratches formed not to long ago...

_It wasn't long before I met Hailey that my collar had tried to be stolen from me, anybody would want it after hearing about its wealth. It's made of pure gold, and I was born with it; it would make sense why somebody would try to steal it from me. Once, a gang of teenagers tried to take it from me, they're long gone now; all the stray Pokémon living here made sure of that... It was in the afternoon, I was just lying against the alley wall with my eyes closed; my mind blank. That's it, nothing special. However, I sensed Auras approaching from a distance, dark and evil Auras; I remained stone-still in spite of the approaching entities. I barely opened one eye to see five teenagers rounding the corner and walking through the alley as if they owned the place. One lead the rest of his cohorts, two following him on either side, a smirk plastered on all of their malicious faces. The gang all wore torn up t-shirts with names and images I couldn't recognize, torn up jeans, and many chains, bracelets, and piercings._

_"Hey look, a little mutt on our turf," the leader stated, brushing a blond bang out of his pale skinned face. "Hey mutt, whatcha' doin' here? Why dontcha' run back to ya' momma?" a different teenager taunted, his brown eyes giving me a cold stare; black hair spiking up around his puny brown head. I closed my eye and 'shrugged', however, I stayed alert and watched their Auras cautiously. The leader crossed his arms and crouched down to my level his face a few inches away from me, the rest surrounding me on both sides. "Got an attitude, do we?" the leader inquired, sarcasm clearly in his statement; eyeing me with cold curiosity. I opened both my eyes, giving him a blank stare; however I noticed his eyes weren't one mine...they were on my collar. My stare turned into a glare when his eyes studied my collar, a glint in his eye told me exactly what he was thinking: He wanted my collar._

_"Mmmm... That looks like some nice gold, am I right?" the leader asked, his gaze meting mine again. My glare became more sharp as his blue ocean eyes gave back a sinister, deceptive look. Protectively, I placed my paw on the precious metal; covering its shiny surface. The teen eyed me, irritation clearly in his expression. "Not gonna hand it over easy are ya'?" he asked as he stood up, easily over three feet taller than me; but I wasn't intimidated in the slightest. I knew I could easily beat him. He looked at the other gang members, all with devious smirks. "Who wants to take out this little punk mutt?" the leader asked the others, eyes studying each. "I will," the teen with the puny brown head stated, stepping forward; arms crossed. Now, with him in front, I took a good look at him: His body was tall, large, and muscular, making his head like tiny compared to the rest of his body. His black hair spiked around his head, making him look like a porcupine; his brown eyes eyeing me, trying to intimidate me._

_His Aura matched him perfectly: Cocky, conceited, and cruel. A deep red and black, not even a hint of any good emotion what-so-ever. The others backed away, waiting and watching him; waiting to see me get beaten down to a bloody pulp so they can steal my collar. Not today. These punks were going to learn not to mess with me. Next thing I knew, his hand was all balled up in a large fist that was high up above his head, waiting to shoot down and make sure my muzzle was pounded into the back of my skull. Next, it suddenly shot downwards towards me like a speeding bullet; I could almost see lines caused by wind trailing behind his fist. Before his fist came into contact with my face, my paw suddenly swung up and stopped it right in its tracks. It shocked everyone, my paw didn't even move a nano meter when he strained his hardest to move his fist. I kept my glare, not wavering for a second as my other paw punched him in the gut...**hard**. A grunt of pain escaped his throat as he clutched his stomach in pain; in the next second, he was on the ground and blood was cascading down his face from one of my punches hitting him right in the face._

_Without warning, the other gang members ran towards me; rage painted on all of their faces. In response to the sudden threat, I put my arms in an x formation; to them I think it was a sign of defense, because the tiniest smirk formed on the leaders face at my 'weakness'. They were wrong, **very** wrong._ _Suddenly, the shadows in the alleys bent towards me, forming around my arms and paws; claws being created from the shadows. Sharp, fatal claws. Right before the four teens could get their 'revenge', I swung my arms outward, the claws hitting the teens and effortlessly slicing through their skin. Four mixed screams of agony rattled thorough out the alleys, the leader's anguished cry the loudest, however. All five were now lying on the ground, writhing in pain; griping their wounds while trying not to cry. The shadows around my arms dissipated into thin air as I walked towards the leader: Slices lead from his gut up to his face...that was going to leave a mark...more like a scar. Anyways, I grabbed his shirt collar and effortlessly tugged his limp head up so it was right in front of mine; the same glare from before sliced just as badly as the claws into his eyes. I remained glaring daggers at him for a few seconds, now instead of malice I could see fear in his eyes; good. "Stay the **fuck** away from me," I stated simply and slammed his head back onto the pavement before he even had a second to decipher a Riolu had just used telepathy. I scanned the other members of the gang, deciding they had been put in their place, and walked slowly away; allowing the shadows to conceal me once more..._

"Riolu? Hey...you awake?" I could hear Hailey's droning and annoying voice as she waved her hand in front of my face to snap me out of my reverie. In irritation, I slapped her hand away with one paw while giving her an annoyed glare to silence her. "S-sorry, Riolu...you kinda zoned out for a few seconds," she explained as she rubbed her now sore hand from my hit. _"That doesn't mean you annoy the hell out of someone to make them snap back to reality,"_ I retorted back at her explanation. For one of the first times, she shot back a glare at me; which, to me, contradicted the way she usually acted. "Anyways," Hailey started to speak in a miffed tone, "Are we going to go break the law now or what?" I gave a small sigh and motioned for her to follow me towards the outside of the alley while barely audibly muttering, "She's in a rather bad mood..." As we stepped onto the sidewalks, I could feel the wind pick up and really start to blow; not affecting me, but I could see Hailey behind me shivering as soon as the cold air touched her pale skin. 'This is why were stealing some warmer clothes...'

...

Walking outside of the alleys and on the sidewalks never seemed to be much of a problem for me, with the few trainers and what-not. Also because of the fact that people just didn't seem to care, though some shot me disgusted looks from time to time; including Hailey, who wasn't used to the negative attention yet. "Riolu, why are some of them glaring at us?" I could hear Hailey whisper as we walked side by side. _"Because humans and __Pokémon_ who actually have homes and three meals a day are disgusted by us, they don't understand our difficulties because they're selfish and only think about themselves," I explained with a clear tone of antipathy in my telekinetic voice. Right after I was done explaining, a man shoved me out of the way and yelled at me to, "Move out of the way!" I growled loudly at him as I recovered from his shove; us glaring daggers at one another before he sped off down the sidewalk. I didn't notice it at first, but Hailey was also glaring at the man; I could only see his eyes travel to hers for a brief millisecond. She stopped glaring towards the man's direction and looked down at me, "Are you alright?" she asked in a seemingly almost sympathetic voice. I nodded subconsciously as my growl faded away into silence while my eyes started to drift towards the many buildings surrounding us on all sides; I could smell the smoke drifting from some of the buildings and into the smoggy air.

She frowned upon looking around at all the buildings the same way I was, her Aura was also still a bit wary about the roads; _"Why?"_ I inquired as I kept staring at the tall skyscrapers in the distance. "Why what?" she inquired back, clearly perplexed on why I had asked so abruptly. _"Why do you seem so...fearful of the roads?"_ I asked as my eyes traveled back to Hailey, whom was registering what I had just asked. She didn't even answer as she just kept walking, not making eye contact with me; her Aura was radiating collossal waves of poigancy and grief._ "Well?"_ I could clearly tell she didn't want to talk about it, but I didn't care; I wanted to know. I admit, it would probably be better if she told me privatly. No response from her, however. In spite of this, I continued, _"What is it, why won't you tell me? If we're going to live together I might as well know everything about you ri-?"_ Hailey suddenly cut my sentence off, "Riolu, it would be better if we discussed this privately besides, I'm still a bit wary of you. From, y'know, all the times you almost killed me with an Aura Sphere?" I could sense her dark humor at that last part, but her unease was clear when she talked about being wary of me. I rolled my eyes, trust is valuable; and she doesn't trust me. Then again, I don't trust her completely either.

...

Hailey and I were now back inside one of the alleys next to a slightly worn down clothing store, the side was made of solid bricks and covered in various words in bright, neon colors. It also had a single glass window above a conveniently placed dumpster; and I was standing on top of it. Hailey was waiting down below, watching me with apprehension; her grey eyes were filled with doubt as she stared at the glass window. "Riolu, are you sure this is the only way?" she asked, foreboding in her slightly shaky voice. I nodded for the fith time and motioned her to climb up, which she obediantly did; though the unease remained as she pulled herself up. A bead of sweat clung to her forehead, her breaths slightly deeper and quicker. "OK, remember: I am going to break through and distract everyone while you grab as many warm clothes you can find. We have only about forty seconds to do this so you must grab as much as possible as quick as possi-" a sudden headache interrupted my instructions, making me pause and grip my head in pain. "Riolu are you-" I cut Hailey off, "Y-yeah, I'm fine...Let's just get this over with. 'What the hell was that!?'

_XXXXXX_

_SMASH!_ The sound of glass shattering into a million peices suddenly made all people inside freeze right in their spots. Next thing they knew, their were multiple small explosions rattling the place and causing many panicked screams from the alarmed people. _5..._ In all of the disorientation, nobody noticed Hailey climbing in through the window; slight panic painted on her face. _10..._ She immediately started to sprint around the store, weaving through the crowds of people running and screaming. She started to grab many shirts, sweaters, and jackets, not even botherng to look at the sizes. _20..._ Next up, she grabbed many pants; jeans, leggings, and sweatpants, grabbing almost everything in sheer desperation. _30..._ She tore many mittens and hats off the shelves, along with multiple pairs of socks. _35..._ Both human and Pokemon saw each other through the corners of their eyes. _40..._ The two darted out of the store and down the street towards the outskirts; not looking back. _50..._ the Riolu could hear sirens start to wail in th background; and he knew full well what he had to do. _60... "Run, hurry!"_ he shouted as he slid against the asphalt, slowing down and turning around so he was turned towards the police. Without giving it a second thought, Hailey kept running, adrenaline pumping through her veins at an extremely fast pace.

XXXXXX

I heard Hailey rushing to get away behind me as I spun around to confront the police whom were after us, or me more specifically for almost killing a few people. Instead of stopping, the police car sped up, its tires screeching as they rubbed forcefully against the asphalt in an attempt to run me over. I stayed still, charging an Aura sphere as I closed my eys, allowing my Aura Sensors to rise slowly into the air, and my tail to settle on the ground. The police car drove even faster towards me despite the Aura forming between my paws; and I was waiting patiently._ 30 feet... Wait for it... 20 feet... **Wait for it... **10 feet..._ I released the sphere of Aura which had grown to almost twice it's size while charging, and watched as it slammed into the car and caused it to topple over. The cop inside wasn't dead, but was definitaly injured. Opening my eyes, I could see other police cars quickly approaching; their blaring sirens were starting to really hurt my ears. However, a different sound caught my attention: A loud _Bang!_ and next a peice of metal flying past me; nicking my ear. It was a bullet. I looked towards the cars with newfound hatred, I snarled as a gun pointing out of the car aimed at me, at my head. Bang! The bullet flew towards me again, but instead of watching the bullet as it flew towards me, I calculated when it would make contact with my skull and kill me. _5...4...3...2...1..._ My paw suddenly flew up, intervening between the bullet and my head; the bone on the back of my paw shattered and deflected the bullet. A shard got lodged into the bone, however, and it hurt pretty bad. But I ignored the pain.

But I wasn't prepared for the next agony that was about to occur...

I started to run in the direction Hailey had ran, before doing so I shot an Aura Sphere at the ground to conceal me as I escaped. Dull pain from the metal shard in my bone throbbed as I ran, but I continued to simply disregard it. 'I wonder if Hailey had made it to where she had planned to show me, speaking of which how was I going to find my way there?' I mused as I continued to run, until another headache suddenly started to form; it was dull at first but it started to get more and more severe every second. My legs also started to ache, despite my extreme stamina, and I could already feel myself sweating; it was getting difficult to breathe. As I neared the outskirts I started running through the thick green that covered the ground, before tripping on it and falling face-first into the dirt. Lamentablly, I had landed in a way that had caused the shard of metal to dig in even deeper; causing so much paroxysm I had to fight back a yell of pure anguish. The new pain mixed with the headache caused my vision to become blurry and everything I heard was so fuzzy as I tried to pick myself back up that I didn't know what the hell was going on. I started to panic.

Big mistake...

I knew to never panic in a situation like this, but the pain was so extreme and I was so unsure of what was going on around me that my nerves went out of whack and made me get all terrified. I knew that if I didn't calm down I would go into shock, and most likely die. I closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind, gripping the green with my calws, breathing in deep and long breaths. Slowly, I could start to hear clearly again; and I began to calm down. I opened my eyes and stood back onto my legs shakily, the headache still lingered, but not as bad. My vision was still a bit fuzzy and my hearing was still distorted; but it was considerably better. Luckily, the police had lost me in their chase; so now I was alone in the grass. And I was now quite shaken, my arm still throbbing. 'Why? Why does this keep happening to me?'

...

_**Author's Note:**_

_**ERMAGERD, IT'S FINALLY FIIIINNNIIIIISSSSHHHHHHEEEEEEED! SORRY EVERYONE, JUST NEEDED A BREAK FROM WRITING BUT I'M BACK! :D R&R!**_


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